Mattheum 6
1 Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis: alioquin mercedem non habebitis apud patrem vestrum, qui in caelis est.
“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 Cum ergo facis eleemosynam, noli tuba canere ante te, sicut hypocritae faciunt in synagogis, et in vicis, ut honorificentur ab hominibus: Amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam.
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 Te autem faciente eleemosynam, nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua:
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 ut sit eleemosyna tua in abscondito, et pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
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 Et cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritae, qui amant in synagogis, et in angulis platearum stantes orare, ut videantur ab hominibus: amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam.
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 Tu autem cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et clauso ostio, ora patrem tuum in abscondito: et pater tuus qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
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 Orantes autem, nolite multum loqui, sicut ethnici faciunt. putant enim quod in multiloquio suo exaudiantur.
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 Nolite ergo assimilari eis. scit enim pater vester, quid opus sit vobis, antequam petatis eum.
Do not [repeat words] as they do, because [God] your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Sic ergo vos orabitis: Pater noster, qui es in caelis: sanctificetur nomen tuum.
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 Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra.
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 Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie.
Give us [(exc)] each day the food [SYN] that we [(exc) need for] that day.
12 Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Forgive our sins just like we [(exc)] have forgiven the people who sin against us [(exc)].
13 Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Sed libera nos a malo. 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 Si enim dimiseritis hominibus peccata eorum: dimittet et vobis pater vester caelestis delicta vestra.
“[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 Si autem non dimiseritis hominibus: nec pater vester dimittet vobis peccata vestra.
But if you do not forgive other people, neither will God forgive your sins.”
16 Cum autem ieiunatis, nolite fieri sicut hypocritae tristes. exterminant enim facies suas, ut appareant hominibus ieiunantes. Amen dico vobis, quia receperunt mercedem suam.
“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 Tu autem, cum ieiunas, unge caput tuum, et faciem tuam lava,
Instead, [each of] you, when you abstain from food, should comb your hair and wash your face [as usual],
18 ne videaris hominibus ieiunans, sed patri tuo, qui est in abscondito: et pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.
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 Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra: ubi aerugo, et tinea demolitur: et ubi fures effodiunt, et furantur.
“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 Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in caelo: ubi neque aerugo, neque tinea demolitur, et ubi fures non effodiunt, nec furantur.
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 Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum.
[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 Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex: totum corpus tuum lucidum erit.
“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 Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam: totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit. Si ergo lumen, quod in te est, tenebrae sunt: ipsae tenebrae quantae erunt?
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 Nemo potest duobus dominis servire: aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget: aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire, et mammonae.
“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 Ideo dico vobis, ne soliciti sitis animae vestrae quid manducetis, neque corpori vestro quid induamini. Nonne anima plus est quam esca: et corpus plus quam vestimentum?
“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 Respicite volatilia caeli, quoniam non serunt, neque metunt, neque congregant in horrea: et pater vester caelestis pascit illa. Nonne vos magis pluris estis illis?
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 Quis autem vestrum cogitans potest adiicere ad staturam suam cubitum unum?
(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 Et de vestimento quid soliciti estis. Considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt: non laborant, neque nent.
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 Dico autem vobis, quoniam nec Salomon in omni gloria sua coopertus est sicut unum ex istis.
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 Si enim foenum agri, quod hodie est, et cras in clibanum mittitur, Deus sic vestit: quanto magis vos modicae fidei?
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 Nolite ergo soliciti esse, dicentes: Quid manducabimus, aut quid bibemus, aut quo operiemur?
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 haec enim omnia gentes inquirunt. Scit enim pater vester, quia his omnibus indigetis.
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 Quaerite ergo primum regnum Dei, et iustitiam eius: et haec omnia adiicientur vobis.
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 Nolite ergo soliciti esse in crastinum. Crastinus enim dies solicitus erit sibiipsi. sufficit diei malitia sua.
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].”
