< Matiu 6 >

1 “Kpacharanụ anya ka unu ghara ime ezi omume unu naanị ka ndị mmadụ hụ unu. Nʼihi na unu mee nke a, unu agaghị enweta ụgwọ ọrụ ọbụla site nʼaka Nna unu bi nʼeluigwe.
Take care not to perform your religious duties in public in order to be seen by others; if you do, your Father who is in Heaven has no reward for you.
2 “Unu afụla opi mgbe unu na-enye ndị nọ na mkpa onyinye, nʼihi na otu a ka ndị ihu abụọ na-eme nʼụlọ nzukọ na nʼokporoụzọ, ka ndị mmadụ too ha. Nʼezie, ana m agwa unu, ha anatala ụgwọ ọrụ ha nʼizuoke.
Therefore, when you do acts of charity, do not have a trumpet blown in front of you, as hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. There, I tell you, is their reward!
3 Mgbe unu chọrọ ịrụ ọrụ ebere, meenụ ya na nzuzo. Ekwela ka aka ekpe gị mata ihe aka nri gị na-achọ ime.
But, when you do acts of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 Ka onyinye gị bụrụ na nzuzo. Mgbe ahụ, Nna gị, onye na-ahụ ihe dị na nzuzo ga-akwụghachi gị.
so that your charity may be secret; and your Father, who sees what is in secret, will recompense you.
5 “Mgbe ọbụla unu chọrọ ikpe ekpere, unu emela dị ka ndị ihu abụọ, nʼihi na ha hụrụ iguzo nʼime ụlọ ekpere, nakwa nʼakụkụ ụzọ nʼanya na-ekpe ekpere, ebe ndị mmadụ ga-ahụ ha. Nʼezie, agwa m unu, ha anatala ụgwọ ọrụ ha nʼebe o zuruoke.
And, when you pray, you are not to behave as hypocrites do. They like to pray standing in the Synagogues and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. There, I tell you, is their reward!
6 Kama, mgbe unu chọrọ ikpe ekpere, baanụ nʼime ime ụlọ unu. Mechiekwanụ ụzọ unu, kpọkuonụ Nna unu nʼekpere na nzuzo. Mgbe ahụ Nna unu, onye na-ahụ ihe e mere na nzuzo, ga-enye unu ụgwọ ọrụ unu.
But, when one of you prays, let him go into his own room, shut the door, and pray to his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.
7 Mgbe unu na-ekpe ekpere, unu ekwula okwu nkwukwasị efu dị ka ndị na-amaghị Chineke na-eme. Ha chere na a ga-anụ ekpere ha nʼihi ọtụtụ okwu ha na-ekwu.
When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing.
8 Unu adịla ka ha. Chetanụ na tupu unu arịọ arịrịọ ọbụla, Nna unu bi nʼeluigwe maara ihe na-akpa unu.
Do not imitate them; for God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “Sinụ otu a na-ekpe ekpere: “‘Nna anyị nke bi nʼeluigwe, ka e doo aha gị nsọ.
You, therefore, should pray thus — ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, may thy name be held holy,
10 Ka alaeze gị bịa, ka e mee uche gị nʼụwa, dịka e si eme ya nʼeluigwe.
thy Kingdom come, thy will be done — on earth, as in Heaven.
11 Nye anyị nri nke ụbọchị taa.
Give us to-day the bread that we shall need;
12 Gbaghara anyị mmehie anyị, dịka anyị si agbaghara ndị na-emehie megide anyị.
and forgive us our wrong-doings, as we have forgiven those who have wronged us;
13 Ekwela ka anyị daba nʼime ọnwụnwa, kama, zọpụta anyị nʼaka ajọ onye ahụ.’
and take us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.’
14 Ọ bụrụ na unu agbaghara ndị mmadụ mgbe ha mehiere megide unu, Nna unu nke bi nʼeluigwe ga-agbagharakwa unu mmehie unu.
For, if you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also;
15 Ọ bụrụkwanụ na unu agbagharaghị ndị ọzọ mmehie niile ha, Nna unu nke bi nʼeluigwe agaghị agbaghara unu mmehie unu.
but, if you do not forgive others their offences, not even your Father will forgive your offences.
16 “Ọzọ, mgbe ọbụla unu na-ebu ọnụ, unu agbarụla ihu unu dịka ndị ihu abụọ na-eme. Nʼihi na ha na-agbarụ ihu ha ka ndị ọzọ hụ na ha na-ebu ọnụ. Nʼezie agwa m unu, ha anatala ụgwọ ọrụ ha.
And, when you fast, do not put on gloomy looks, as hypocrites do who disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. That, I tell you, is their reward!
17 Mgbe ị na-ebu ọnụ, tee isi gị mmanụ, ma saakwa ihu gị mmiri,
But, when one of you fasts, let him anoint his head and wash his face,
18 ka ndị ọzọ ghara ịhụta na ị na-ebu ọnụ kama ka ọ bụrụ naanị nye Nna gị, onye anya na-adịghị ahụ. Nna gị, onye na-ahụ ihe niile na-eme na nzuzo, ga-akwụ gị ụgwọ.
that he may not be seen by men to be fasting, but by his Father who dwells in secret; and his Father, who sees what is secret, will recompense him.
19 “Unu akpadola akụ nʼụwa nye onwe unu, ebe ọ ga-agba nchara, akịka atakwa ya, ebe ndị ohi ga-etiwa ma zukwaa ha.
Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 Kama kwadoonụ akụ nʼeluigwe nye onwe unu, ebe ha na-agaghị agba nchara, ebe akịka na-agaghị eri ha, ebe ndị ohi na-adịghị etiwa maọbụ zuo ihe.
But store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
21 Nʼihi na ebe ọbụla akụ unu dị ka obi unu ga-adịkwa.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 “Anya bụ oriọna nke anụ ahụ. Ọ bụrụkwa na anya gị adịrị ọcha, ahụ gị niile ga-ejupụta nʼìhè.
The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be lit up;
23 Ọ bụrụ na anya gị ajọọ njọ, akụkụ ahụ gị niile ga-ejupụta nʼọchịchịrị. Ọ bụrụkwa na ìhè ahụ dị nʼime gị aghọọ ọchịchịrị, ọchịchịrị ahụ ga-adị ukwuu.
but, if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkened. And, if the inner light is darkness, how intense must that darkness be!
24 “Ọ dịghị onye ọbụla pụrụ ife nna ukwu abụọ, nʼihi na ọ ga-achọ ịhụ otu nʼime ha nʼanya, kpọkwa nke ọzọ asị, maọbụ sọpụrụ otu ma lelịa nke ọzọ anya. Otu a kwa i nweghị ike ife Chineke na akụ otu mgbe ahụ.
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 “Nʼihi nke a ka m ji na-asị unu, unu echegbula onwe unu banyere ndụ unu, ihe unu ga-eri, maọbụ ihe unu ga-aṅụ, maọbụ banyere ahụ unu, ihe unu ga-eyi nʼahụ. Ọ bụ ndụ akarịghị nri eji azụ ya, ka ọ bụ ahụ akarịghị ihe e ji ekpuchi ya?
That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about your life here — what you can get to eat or drink; nor yet about your body — what you can get to wear. Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?
26 Werenụ ụmụ nnụnụ dị ka ihe ịmaatụ. Ha adịghị akụ mkpụrụ nʼubi maọbụ ewe ihe ubi. Ha adịghị achịkọtakwa ihe debe nʼọba. Ma Nna unu nke bi nʼeluigwe na-azụ ha. Ọ bụ na unu adịghị oke ọnụahịa karịa ha?
Look at the wild birds — they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feeds them! And are not you more precious than they?
27 Onye nʼetiti unu pụrụ itinye otu nkeji nʼogologo ụbọchị nke ndụya site nʼichegbu onwe ya?
But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life a single moment?
28 “Gịnị mekwaranụ unu ji na-anọ nʼechiche oge niile maka uwe? Leenụ okoko osisi nke ọhịa. Ha adịghị arụ ọrụ maọbụ dọgbuo onwe ha nʼọrụ.
And why be anxious about clothing? Study the wild lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin;
29 Ma asị m unu, ọ bụladị Solomọn nʼebube nke ịbụ eze ya niile, eyighị uwe ọbụla mara mma dị ka otu nʼime okoko osisi nke ọhịa ndị a.
yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his splendour was not robed like one of these.
30 Ma ọ bụrụ na Chineke si otu a chọọ ahịhịa efu nke ubi mma, nke pụrụ ịdị ndụ taa ma echi atụba ha nʼite ọkụ, ọ bụ na ọ gaghị a chọọ unu mma karịa. Unu ndị okwukwe nta?
If God so clothes even the grass of the field, which is living to-day and to-morrow will be thrown into the oven, will not he much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31 Nʼihi nke a, unu echegbukwala onwe unu na-asị, ‘Gịnị ka anyị ga-eri?’ maọbụ, ‘Gịnị ka anyị ga-aṅụ?’ maọbụ, ‘Gịnịkwa ka anyị ga-eyi?’
Do not then ask anxiously ‘What can we get to eat?’ or ‘What can we get to drink?’ or ‘What can we get to wear?’
32 Ọ bụ ihe ndị a ka ndị na-amaghị Chineke na-achọsi ike. Ma Nna unu bi nʼeluigwe maara na ọ dị unu mkpa.
All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 Ma burunu ụzọ chọọ alaeze ya na ezi omume ya, a ga-atụkwasịkwara unu ihe ndị a niile.
But first seek his Kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things shall be added for you.
34 Ya mere, unu echegbula onwe unu banyere echi, nʼihi na echi ga-echere onwe ya. Nsogbu nke ụbọchị taa ezuorola ụbọchị taa.
Therefore do not be anxious about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own anxieties. Every day has trouble enough of its own.

< Matiu 6 >