Matthew 6
1 “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.
[But] take heed, that ye do not, your righteousness, before men, to be gazed at by them, —otherwise at least, reward, have ye none, with your Father who is in the heavens.
2 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!
When, therefore, thou mayest be doing an alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, just as, the hypocrites, do in the synagogues and in the streets—that they may be glorified by men, —Verily, I say unto you, they are getting back their reward.
3 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].
But, thou, when doing an alms, let not, thy left hand, know what thy right hand is doing;
4 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.
that thine alms may be in secret, —and, thy Father, who seeth in secret, will give it back to thee.
5 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.
And, when ye may be praying, ye shall not be as the hypocrites, because they love, in the synagogues, and at the corners of the broad ways, to take their stand and pray, that they may shine before men; Verily, I say unto you, they are getting back their reward.
6 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.
But, thou, when thou wouldest pray, enter into thy closet, and, fastening thy door, pray unto thy Father who is in secret, —and, thy Father who seeth in secret, will reward thee.
7 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].
And, being at prayer, use not vain repetitions, just like the nations, —for they think, that, in their much speaking, they shall be hoard;
8 Do not [repeat words] as they do, because [God] your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
do not, therefore, make yourselves like them, for [God] your Father knoweth of what things ye have, need, before ye ask him.
9 So pray [things] like this: Father, [you who are] in heaven, we [(exc)] desire that you be honored/revered {that people honor/revere you}.
Thus, therefore pray, ye: Our Father, who art in the heavens, —Hallowed be thy name,
10 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].
Come may thy kingdom, —Accomplished be thy will, as in heaven, also on earth:
11 Give us [(exc)] each day the food [SYN] that we [(exc) need for] that day.
Our needful bread, give us, this day;
12 Forgive our sins just like we [(exc)] have forgiven the people who sin against us [(exc)].
And forgive us our debts, as, we also, have forgiven our debtors;
13 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.”
And bring us not into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “[Forgive the people who sin against you], because, if you forgive other people, [God], your Father who is in heaven, will forgive your [sins].
For, if ye forgive men their faults, Your Father who is in the heavens, will forgive, even you;
15 But if you do not forgive other people, neither will God forgive your sins.”
But, if ye forgive not men [their faults], neither will your Father forgive, your faults.
16 “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!
And, when ye may he fasting, become not ye, as the hypocrites, of sullen countenance, —for they darken their looks, that they may appear, unto men, to be fasting: Verily, I say unto you, they are getting back their reward.
17 Instead, [each of] you, when you abstain from food, should comb your hair and wash your face [as usual],
But, when, thou, art fasting, anoint thy head, and, thy face, wash, —
18 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.”
that thou do not appear, unto men, to be fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret, —and, thy Father who seeth in secret, will reward thee.
19 “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.
Be not laying up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where, moth and rust, do tarnish, and where, thieves, dig through and steal;
20 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.
but be laying up or yourselves treasures in heaven, where, neither moth nor rust, doth tarnish, and where, thieves, dig not through nor steal:
21 [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].”
for, where, thy treasure, is, there, will be, thy heart [also].
22 “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].
The lamp of the body, is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body, shall be, lighted up;
23 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].”
But, if thine eye be, evil, thy whole body, shall be, in the dark; —if therefore, the light which is in thee, is, darkness, the darkness, how great!
24 “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].”
No one, unto two masters, can be in service; for either, the one, he will hate, and, the other, love, or, one, he will hold to, and, the other, despise: Ye cannot be in service, unto God, and, unto Riches.
25 “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].
For this cause, I say unto you: Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat [or what ye shall drink], —or for your body, what ye shall put on: Is not, the life, more than, the food? And, the body, than, the raiment?
26 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!]
Observe intently, the birds of the heaven, —that they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet, your heavenly Father, feedeth, them: Are no, ye, much better than, they?
27 (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!]
But who from among you, being anxious, can add to his stature one cubit?
28 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.
And, about clothing, why are ye anxious? Consider well the lilies of the field, how they grow, —they toil not neither do they spin;
29 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].
And yet, I say unto you, not even Solomon, in all his glory, was arrayed like, one of these!
30 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]
Now, if the grass of the field—which to-day, is, and, to-morrow, into an oven, is cast—God thus adorneth, not much rather, you, little of faith?
31 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]
Do not then be anxious saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be arrayed?
32 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].
For, all these things, the nations, seek after, —for your heavenly Father, knoweth, that ye are needing, all these things.
33 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]}.
But be seeking first, the kingdom and its righteousness, —and, all these things, shall be added unto you.
34 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].”
Do not, then, be anxious for the morrow; for the morrow, will be anxious, for itself: Sufficient for the day, is the evil thereof.
