Matthew 6
1 Be cautious in your alms-giving, not to perform it before men, so that ye may be seen of them: otherwise, ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
"But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.
2 Therefore, when thou doest alms thou shalt not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get praise from men. Verily I say to you, They have gotten their reward.
'When you give in charity, never blow a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets in order that their praises may be sung by men. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.
3 But thou, when doing alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
But when you are giving in charity, let not your left hand perceive what your right hand is doing,
4 that thy alms may be in secret. And thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly.
that your charities may be in secret; and then your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.
5 And when thou prayest. thou shalt not be like the hypocrites, who are fond of standing up in the synagogues and at the corners of streets to pray, so that they may be seen by people. Verily I say to you, they have gotten their reward.
"And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest enter into thy closet and close the door, and pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly.
But you, whenever you pray, go into your own room and shut the door: then pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.
7 And when ye pray, be not garrulous like the heathen; for they expect to be heard for their abundance of words.
"And when praying, do not use needless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they expect to be listened to because of their multitude of words.
8 Therefore, be not like them; for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before ye ask him.
Do not, however, imitate them; for your Father knows what things you need before ever you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name:
"In this manner therefore pray: 'Our Father who art in Heaven, may Thy name be kept holy;
10 Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done; as in heaven, so on earth:
let Thy kingdom come; let Thy will be done, as in Heaven so on earth;
11 Give us our needful bread, this day:
give us to-day our bread for the day;
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors:
and forgive us our shortcomings, as we also have forgiven those who have failed in their duty towards us;
13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever: Amen.
and bring us not into temptation, but rescue us from the Evil one.'
14 For if ye forgive men their faults, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you.
"For if you forgive others their offences, your Heavenly Father will forgive you also;
15 But if ye shall not forgive men, your Father also forgiveth not you your faults.
but if you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.
16 And when ye fast, be not sad like the hypocrites. For they distort their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say to you, they have gotten their reward.
"When any of you fast, never assume gloomy looks as the hypocrites do; for they disfigure their faces in order that it may be evident to men that they are fasting. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.
17 But, when thou fastest, wash thou thy face, and anoint thy head:
But, whenever you fast, pour perfume on your hair and wash your face,
18 that thou mayest not be seen by men as a faster, but by thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will recompense thee.
that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust spoil, and where thieves dig through and steal.
"Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where no moth and no rust can spoil, and no thieves dig through nor steal.
But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.
For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be.
22 The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore thy eye shall be sound, thy whole body will be luminous.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eyesight is good, your whole body will be well lighted;
23 But if thy eye shall be diseased, thy whole body will be dark. If then the light that is in thee be darkness, how great will be thy darkness!
but if your eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will honor the one and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
"No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.
25 Therefore I say to you: Be not anxious about your life, what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink; nor about your body, how ye shall clothe yourselves. Is not the life more important than food, and the body than raiment?
For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?
26 Look at the birds of heaven; which sow not, and reap not, and gather not into storehouses, but your Father who is in heaven feedeth them. Are not ye more important than they?
Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they?
27 And who of you that shall be anxious, can add to his stature a cubit?
Which of you by being over-anxious can add a single foot to his height?
28 And about raiment, why are ye anxious? Consider the lilies of the desert, in what manner they grow. They toil not; and they spin not.
And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the wild lilies. Watch their growth. They neither toil nor spin,
29 Yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory, was arrayed like one of them.
and yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his magnificence could array himself like one of these.
30 And if God so clothe the grass of the field, which exists to-day, and tomorrow falls into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, ye small in faith?
And if God so clothes the wild herbage which to-day flourishes and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, is it not much more certain that He will clothe you, you men of little faith?
31 Therefore be not anxious; nor say, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink; or wherewith be clothed?
Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 For, all these things the people of the world seek after. And your Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that all these things are needful to you.
For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added to you.
But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition.
34 Therefore be not anxious about the morrow: for the morrow hath its own anxieties. Sufficient for the day, is its own evil.
Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.
