Mattheüs 6
1 Hebt acht, dat gij uw aalmoes niet doet voor de mensen, om van hen gezien te worden; anders zo hebt gij geen loon bij uw Vader, Die in de hemelen is.
“When you do your good deeds, make certain that you do not do them when other people are watching so that they may see you [and think highly of you]. If [you do good deeds merely in order that other people may think highly of you, God], your Father who is in heaven, will not give you any reward.
2 Wanneer gij dan aalmoes doet, zo laat voor u niet trompetten, gelijk de geveinsden in de synagogen en op de straten doen, opdat zij van de mensen geeerd mogen worden. Voorwaar zeg Ik u: Zij hebben hun loon weg.
So, whenever you give something to the poor, do not [announce it as people announce something that they want other people to know about] by playing a [fanfare] on a trumpet [MET]. That is what the hypocrites do (in the synagogues/in the Jewish meeting places) and on the main roads in order that people might [see what they do and] praise them. Keep this in mind: [People praise those hypocrites], [but] that is the [only] reward they will receive!
3 Maar als gij aalmoes doet, zo laat uw linker hand niet weten, wat uw rechter doet;
Instead [of doing as they do], when you give something to the poor, do not let other people know that you are doing that [MET].
4 Opdat uw aalmoes in het verborgen zij; en uw Vader, Die in het verborgen ziet, Die zal het u in het openbaar vergelden.
In that way, you will be giving to the poor secretly. [As a result God], your Father who observes [you] while no one else sees [you], will reward you.
5 En wanneer gij bidt, zo zult gij niet zijn gelijk de geveinsden; want die plegen gaarne, in de synagogen en op de hoeken der straten staande, te bidden, opdat zij van de mensen mogen gezien worden. Voorwaar, Ik zeg u, dat zij hun loon weg hebben.
Also when you pray, do not do what the hypocrites do. They like to stand in the Jewish meeting places and on the corners of the main streets to pray, in order that other people will see them [and think highly of them]. Keep this in mind: [People praise them, but] that is the [only] reward they will get.
6 Maar gij, wanneer gij bidt, gaat in uw binnenkamer, en uw deur gesloten hebbende, bidt uw Vader, Die in het verborgen is; en uw Vader, Die in het verborgen ziet, zal het u in het openbaar vergelden.
But as for you, when you pray, go into your private room and close the door in order to pray to [God], your Father, whom no one can see. He observes you where no one else observes you, and he will reward you.
7 En als gij bidt, zo gebruikt geen ijdel verhaal van woorden, gelijk de heidenen; want zij menen, dat zij door hun veelheid van woorden zullen verhoord worden.
When you pray, do not repeat words many times as the people who do not know God do [when they pray. They repeat meaningless words] because they think that if they use many words, their gods will listen to them and give them [what they ask for].
8 Wordt dan hun niet gelijk; want uw Vader weet, wat gij van node hebt, eer gij Hem bidt.
Do not [repeat words] as they do, because [God] your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Gij dan bidt aldus: Onze Vader, Die in de hemelen zijt! Uw Naam worde geheiligd.
So pray [things] like this: Father, [you who are] in heaven, we [(exc)] desire that you be honored/revered {that people honor/revere you}.
10 Uw Koninkrijk kome. Uw wil geschiede, gelijk in den hemel alzo ook op de aarde.
We [(exc)] desire that people let you rule [over their lives]. We(exc) want [people who live] on the earth to do what you desire, as those who live in heaven [do what you want them to do].
11 Geef ons heden ons dagelijks brood.
Give us [(exc)] each day the food [SYN] that we [(exc) need for] that day.
12 En vergeef ons onze schulden, gelijk ook wij vergeven onzen schuldenaren.
Forgive our sins just like we [(exc)] have forgiven the people who sin against us [(exc)].
13 En leid ons niet in verzoeking, maar verlos ons van den boze. Want Uw is het Koninkrijk, en de kracht, en de heerlijkheid, in der eeuwigheid, amen.
Do not let us(exc) do wrong things when we(exc) are tempted {someone or something tempts us}, and rescue us [(exc)] when Satan the evil one tempts us to do evil things.”
14 Want indien gij den mensen hun misdaden vergeeft, zo zal uw hemelse Vader ook u vergeven.
“[Forgive the people who sin against you], because, if you forgive other people, [God], your Father who is in heaven, will forgive your [sins].
15 Maar indien gij den mensen hun misdaden niet vergeeft, zo zal ook uw Vader uw misdaden niet vergeven.
But if you do not forgive other people, neither will God forgive your sins.”
16 En wanneer gij vast, toont geen droevig gezicht, gelijk de geveinsden; want zij mismaken hun aangezichten, opdat zij van de mensen mogen gezien worden, als zij vasten. Voorwaar, Ik zeg u, dat zij hun loon weg hebben.
“When you abstain from eating food [in order to please God], do not look sad as the hypocrites look. They make their faces appear sad in order that people will see that they are abstaining from food [and will think highly of them]. Keep this in mind: [People will think highly of those people for that], but [that is the only] reward those people will get!
17 Maar gij, als gij vast, zalft uw hoofd, en wast uw aangezicht;
Instead, [each of] you, when you abstain from food, should comb your hair and wash your face [as usual],
18 Opdat het van de mensen niet gezien worde, als gij vast, maar van uw Vader, Die in het verborgen is; en uw Vader, Die in het verborgen ziet, zal het u in het openbaar vergelden.
in order that other people will not notice that you are fasting [because you will look as you always do]. But [God], your Father, whom no one can see, [will observe that you are abstaining from food. God] your Father sees [you] even though no one else sees [you], and he will reward you.”
19 Vergadert u geen schatten op de aarde, waar ze de mot en de roest verderft, en waar de dieven doorgraven en stelen;
“Do not [selfishly] accumulate large quantities of money and material goods for yourselves on [this] earth, because [the earth is where everything is destroyed. For example], on earth termites ruin things, and things rust, and thieves enter [buildings] and steal things.
20 Maar vergadert u schatten in den hemel, waar ze noch mot noch roest verderft, en waar de dieven niet doorgraven noch stelen;
Instead, do [deeds that will please God. Your doing such deeds will be like] storing treasures in heaven [MET]. [Nothing perishes in heaven]. In heaven no termites ruin [things], nothing rusts, and thieves do not enter buildings and steal.
21 Want waar uw schat is, daar zal ook uw hart zijn.
[Remember that] the things [that you think are the most] valuable are [the things that] you will be constantly concerned about [MET]. [So if you want to be storing treasures in heaven], you [need to be] constantly thinking [about God and heaven], [instead of your earthly possessions].”
22 De kaars des lichaams is het oog; indien dan uw oog eenvoudig is, zo zal uw gehele lichaam verlicht wezen;
“Your eyes are [like] a lamp [MET] for your body, because they enable you to see things. So if your eyes are healthy, you are able to see everything well [MET]. [Similarly, if you are generous with your money and other possessions, you will be able to know much of what God wants you to know] [MET].
23 Maar indien uw oog boos is, zo zal geheel uw lichaam duister zijn. Indien dan het licht, dat in u is, duisternis is, hoe groot zal de duisternis zelve zijn!
But if your eyes are bad, you are not able to see things well. And if that continues, the time will come when you will not be able to see at all. You will be in complete darkness [MET]. [Similarly, if you continue to be greedy, you will be in spiritual darkness. If all that your eyes can see and your mind can think about involves your greedily desiring material possessions, all that you do will be evil] [MET].”
24 Niemand kan twee heren dienen; want of hij zal den enen haten en den anderen liefhebben, of hij zal den enen aanhangen en den anderen verachten; gij kunt niet God dienen en den Mammon.
“No one is able to serve two [different] bosses [at the same time]. If [he tried to do that], he would dislike one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one [DOU]. [Similarly], you cannot [devote your life to] worshipping God and [worshipping] money and material goods [at the same time].”
25 Daarom zeg Ik u: Zijt niet bezorgd voor uw leven, wat gij eten, en wat gij drinken zult; noch voor uw lichaam, waarmede gij u kleden zult; is het leven niet meer dan het voedsel, en het lichaam dan de kleding?
“Because [you should be concerned about what God thinks is important and not about material goods, I] tell you that you should not worry about [things that you need in order to] live. [Do not worry] about whether you will have [enough food] to eat, and [something] to drink, or [enough] clothes to wear. It is important to have [sufficient] food [and drink] and clothing, but the way you conduct your lives is much more important [RHQ].
26 Aanziet de vogelen des hemels, dat zij niet zaaien, noch maaien, noch verzamelen in de schuren; en uw hemelse Vader voedt nochtans dezelve; gaat gij dezelve niet zeer veel te boven?
Look at the birds. They do not plant [seeds, and they do not] harvest [crops] and gather them into barns. [But they always have food to eat because God], your Father who is in heaven, provides food for them. And you are certainly worth a lot more than birds [RHQ]! [So you can be assured that God will supply what you need!]
27 Wie toch van u kan, met bezorgd te zijn, een el tot zijn lengte toedoen?
(None of you can, just by worrying, [add time to your life]./Can any of you, just by worrying, [add time to your life]?) [RHQ] [You cannot] add [even] one minute to your life! [So you should not worry about things such as food and clothing!]
28 En wat zijt gij bezorgd voor de kleding? Aanmerkt de lelien des velds, hoe zij wassen; zij arbeiden niet, en spinnen niet;
You should also not worry about [whether you will have enough] clothes [to wear] [RHQ]. Think about the way flowers [grow] in the fields. They do not work [to earn money], and they do not make their own clothes.
29 En Ik zeg u, dat ook Salomo, in al zijn heerlijkheid, niet is bekleed geweest, gelijk een van deze.
But I tell you that even though [King] Solomon, who [lived long ago], [wore very beautiful clothes], his clothes were not as beautiful as one of those [flowers].
30 Indien nu God het gras des velds, dat heden is, en morgen in den oven geworpen wordt, alzo bekleedt, zal Hij u niet veel meer kleden, gij kleingelovigen?
God makes the wild plants very beautiful, [but they grow] in the field [for only a short time]. One day they grow, and the next day they are thrown into an oven {someone [cuts them and] throws them into an oven} [to be burned to make heat for baking bread. But you are more important to God than wild plants are, and you live much longer]. So (God will certainly provide clothes for you who [live a long time but] trust him so little!/will not God surely very adequately clothe you, [who live a long time but] trust him so little?) [RHQ]
31 Daarom zijt niet bezorgd, zeggende: Wat zullen wij eten, of wat zullen wij drinken, of waarmede zullen wij ons kleden?
Because of God’s caring for you, do not worry and say, ‘Will we have anything to eat?’ or ‘Will we have anything to drink?’ or ‘Will we have clothes to wear?’ [RHQ]
32 Want al deze dingen zoeken de heidenen; want uw hemelse Vader weet, dat gij al deze dingen behoeft.
Those who do not know God are always worrying about things like that. But God, your Father who is in heaven, knows that you need all those things, [so you should not worry about them].
33 Maar zoekt eerst het Koninkrijk Gods en Zijn gerechtigheid, en al deze dingen zullen u toegeworpen worden.
Instead, the most important thing you should be concerned about is to let [God] completely direct your life, and to strive [to live] righteously. [If you do that], all the things that you [need] will be given to you {God will give you all the things [that you need]}.
34 Zijt dan niet bezorgd tegen den morgen; want de morgen zal voor het zijne zorgen; elke dag heeft genoeg aan zijn zelfs kwaad.
So [each day] do not be worried about what will happen to you the next day, because [when] that day [PRS] comes, [you] will be concerned about [what happens during] that day. You will have enough to be concerned about each day. [So do not worry ahead of time].”
