on the gate til the sea, atowre Jordan,
Galilee o the Haithen!
The fowk at sat i the mirk
hes seen a gryte licht:
for them at sat
i the shaidows o the Laund o Deith
day hes dawed.
FRAE THAT TIME forrit Jesus set tae the preachin: “Repent,” he tauld men, “for the Kíngdom o Heiven is naurhaund.” Ae day he wis traivlin aside the Loch o Galilee, whan he saw twa brithers, Símon, caa’d Peter, an Andro his brither, castin a net intil the loch; for they war fishers tae tredd.
“Come efter me,” qo he til them, “an I s’ mak ye men-fishers”; an strecht they quat their nets an fallowt him.
Gaein on faurer, he saw ither twa brithers, Jeames the son o Zebedee, an his brither John. They war intil their boat, tae, wi their faither Zebedee, beetin their nets; an he caa’d them, an immedentlie they quat the boat an their faither an fallowt him.
SYNE HE GAED round the haill o Galilee, teachin i their meetin-housses, an preachin the Kíngdom, an hailin ilka síckness an ilka complènt amang the fowk. His fame gaed outowre aa Sýria, an aa at wis oniegate ailin wis brocht til him—fowk dreein aa kinkind o ills an pyne, fowk pestit wi ill spírits, fowk afflickit wi the faain-síckness or the pairls—an he hailed them aa; an frae Galilee an the Ten Touns, frae Jerusalem an Judaea an ayont Jordan, muckle thrangs cam an fallowt him about.
5 Seein hou monie there wis o them, he spealed the brae, an whan he hed sitten doun, an his disciples hed gethert about him, he set tae the teachin, an this is what he said tae them:
“Hou happie the puir at is hummle afore God,
for theirs is the Kíngdom o heiven!
Hou happie the dowff an dowie,
for they will be comfortit!
Hou happie the douce an cannie,
for they will faa the yird!
Hou happie them at yaups an thrists for richteousness,
for they will get their sairin!
Hou happie the mercifu,
for they will win mercie!
Hou happie the clean o hairt,
for they will see God!
Hou happie the redders o strow an strife,
for they will be caa’d the childer o God!
Hou happie them at hes dree’d misgydin for richteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kíngdom o Heiven!
Hou happie ye, whan they tash an misgyde ye an say aathing ill o ye, líein on ye, for my sake! Blythe be ye an mirkie, for gryte is the rewaird bidin ye in heiven; it wis een sae they misgydit the Prophets afore ye.
“Ye ar the saut o the warld. But gin the saut gaes saurless, what will gíe it back its tang? There is nocht adae wi it mair but cast it outbye for fowk tae patter wi their feet.
“Ye ar the licht o the warld. A toun biggit on a hill-tap canna be hoddit; an again, whan fowk licht a lamp, they pit-it-na ablò a meal-bassie, but set it up on the dresser-heid, an syne it gíes licht for aabodie i the houss. See at your licht shínes that gate afore the warld, sae at aabodie may see your guid deeds an ruise your Faither in heiven!
“Trewna I am come tae abolish the Law an the Prophets: I haena come tae abolish them, but tae perfyte them. Atweill, I tell ye, as lang as heiven an yird bides, 27no the smaaest scart o ink or scrape o the pen will be strucken frae the Law, or aathing at maun be hes come tae pass. Onie-ane, than, at braks ane o thir commaunds, be it the least o them, an lairns ithers tae dae the like, will be the least thocht-on i the Kíngdom o Heiven. But onie-ane at keeps them, an lairns ithers tae keep them, will be muckle thocht-on i the Kíngdom o Heiven. Deed, I tell ye, onless ye ar a hantle better-daein men nor the Doctors o the Law an the Pharisees, ye s’ ne’er win intil the Kíngdom o Heiven avà.
“Ye hae heared at it wis said tae them i the langsyne: ‘Thou sanna commit murther, an onie-ane at commits murther maun thole an assize afore the magistrate.’ But I say til ye, ‘Onie-ane at is angert at his brither maun thole an assize afore the magistrate.’ 28Again, ‘Onie-ane at says til his brither, “Ye bee-heidit gowk!” maun thole an assize afore the Council.’ But I say: ‘Onie-ane at says til his brither, “Ye muckle sumph!” maun thole an assize afore ane at can duim til the lowes o hell.’ Sae whan ye bring your gift tae the altar, gin ye caa tae mind at your brither hes something again ye, lae your gift there forenent the altar an awà an souther it up wi your brither, an syne, but no afore, come an offer your gift. Loss nae time in greein wi onie-ane at hes raised a pley again ye, as lang as ye ar on the road tae the court wi him: or aiblins he will haund ye owre tae the Juidge, an the Juidge will turn ye owre til the Officiar o the Court, an ye will 29finnd yoursel in jyle. Atweill, I tell ye, ye s’ no win out the jyle or ye hae peyed up ilka plack an farden!
“Ye hae heared at it wis said, ‘Thou sanna commit adulterie.’ But I say til ye at onie-ane at 30casts a keistie luik owre a wuman hes commitit adulterie wi her else in his hairt. Gin your richt ee gars ye stoiter, pyke it out an cast it awà; ye will be better wantin ae ee nor haein your haill bouk cuissen intil hell. An gin your richt haund gars ye stoiter, cut it aff an cast it awà; ye will be better wantin ae pairt o ye nor haein your haill bouk an gangin the gate til hell.
“Again, it wis laid doun: ‘A man at divorces his wife maun gíe her divorce-lines.’ But I say tae ye at onie-ane at divorces his wife—an it binna for 31hurin—drives her intil adulterie, an onie-ane at mairries a divorced wuman commits adulterie.
“Again, ye hae heared at it wis said tae them i the lang-syne: ‘Ye sanna mansweir yoursel, but maun bide bi your aiths swurn tae the Lord.’ But I say til ye, ‘Sweir nane avà’—naither bi the lift, for it is his throne; nor bi the yird, for it is the fit-brod aneth his feet; nor yit bi Jerusalem, for it is the Cítie o the Gryte Kíng. Sweirna bi your ain heid aitherins, for ye canna mak ae hair o it black or white. Lat it ey be plain ‘Ay’ an ‘Na’ wi ye; ocht mair an that comes o the Ill Ane.
“Ye hae heared at it wis said: ‘Ee for ee, an tuith for tuith.’ But I say tae ye, ‘Haudna again wrang.’ Gin onie-ane 32taks ye a scud on the tae chaft, turn the tither til him. Gin onie-ane wad tak the law o ye, an hae the sairk aff your back, lat him hae baith hit an your jaicket forbye. Gin a public officiar gars ye traivel wi him a mile, gang ye ither twa wi him. Gíe til onie-ane at axes ye, an til onie-ane seeks a len’ o ocht gíe-him-na a na-say.
“Ye hae heared at it wis said: ‘Thou sal luve thy neipour, an ill-will thy fae.’ But I say til ye, ‘Luve your faes, an pray for them at misgydes ye.’ Sae ye will shaw yoursels sons o your Faither in heiven, at gars his sun rise the same on the guid an the bad, an the renn faa the same on the weill-daein an the ill-daein. Gin ye luve nane but them at luves ye, what rewaird can ye ettle for that? Een the tax-uplifters
