Matthew 6
1 Make sure not to do your good deeds in front of people, just so they can be seen. Otherwise you won't have any reward from your Father in heaven.
"Be careful not to do your good deeds in the sight of men, in order to be observed by them. If you do, you have no reward with your heavenly Father.
2 When you give to the poor, don't be like the hypocrites who blow their own trumpets to announce what they're doing in the synagogues and in the streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth: they already have their reward.
"And whatever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets, in order that men may praise them. In solemn truth I tell you they already have their reward in full.
3 When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing.
"But when you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left is doing,
4 That way what you give will be in secret, and your Father who sees what happens in secret will reward you.
"so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
5 When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people can see them. I promise you, they already have their reward.
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the avenues, in order that men may see them. In solemn truth I tell you that they have their reward in full.
6 But you, when you pray, go indoors and close the door, and pray to your Father in private, and your Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
"But you, when you pray, go into your own room and shut your door; pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 When you pray, don't babble on meaninglessly like the foreigners do, who think they will be heard because of all the words they repeat.
"While praying do not say the same words over and over again, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that by their much speaking they will gain attention.
8 Don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 So pray like this:
"So pray in this way. "Our Father who art in heaven, May thy name be hallowed,
10 Our heavenly Father, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come! May your will be carried out in earth as it is in heaven.
thy kingdom come, and thy will be done, On earth, as in heaven.
11 Please give to us today the food we need.
Give us today our bread for the day before us;
12 Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors;
13 Don't let us be tempted to do wrong, and save us from the evil one.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One; For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Amen.
14 For if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
"For if you forgive men their offenses against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;
15 But if you don't forgive those who sin against you, then your heavenly Father won't forgive your sins.
"but if you do not forgive men your offenses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your offenses.
16 When you fast, don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces and make themselves look terrible so that everyone can see they're fasting. I tell you the truth, they already have their reward.
"When you fast, do not look downcast like the hypocrites; for they disfigure their faces so that it may be apparent to men that they are fasting. In solemn truth I tell you, they already have received their reward.
17 Instead, when you fast, wash your face and look smart,
"But when one of you fasts, let him anoint his head and wash his face,
18 so that people won't see you're fasting, and your unseen Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
"so that he may not appear to men to be fasting, but to his Father who is in secret; and his Father who sees in secret will reward him.
19 Don't pile up wealth here on earth where moths and rust ruin it, and where thieves break in and steal it.
"Store up for yourselves no treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;
20 Instead, you should store up your wealth in heaven, where moths and rust don't ruin it, and where thieves don't break in and steal it.
"but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21 For what you value the most shows who you really are.
"For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The eye is like a lamp that lights the body. So if your eye is healthy, then your whole body will have light.
"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is sound, your whole body will be well lighted;
23 But if your eye is evil, then your whole body will be in the dark. If the light in you is darkness, how dark is that!
"but if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be darkened. If then the very light within you is darkness, how dense is that darkness!
24 No one can serve two masters. Either you'll hate one and love the other, or you'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Money.
"No slave can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will pay heed to the one and despise the other. You cannot be the slaves both of God and of gold.
25 That's why I'm telling you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about what to eat, or what to drink, or what clothes to put on. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, inquiring what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, inquiring what you shall wear. Is not your life more than its food, and your body than its clothing?
26 Look at the birds—they don't sow or reap or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they are?
"Behold! the birds in the sky! They neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them; and are not you worth more than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a minute to your life?
"Which one of you by being anxious is able to add even one cubit to his stature?
28 And why are you worried about clothes? Look at the beautiful flowers in the field. See how they grow: they don't work hard, they don't spin thread.
"Why be anxious then about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin.
29 But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these flowers.
"But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these.
30 So if God decorates the fields like this, grass which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, won't he do much more for you, you people who trust so little?
"If God then so clothes the grass of the field, which blooms today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31 So don't worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
"Then do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’"
32 These are all the things that the heathen chase after, but your heavenly Father knows everything you need.
"For all these are things that the Gentiles are eagerly seeking; for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all.
33 Seek his kingdom first, and his way of living right, and everything will be given to you.
"But continue to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow can worry about itself. There's already enough evil in every day.
"Do not then be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own anxieties. Enough for each day are its own troubles."
