Add parallel Print Page Options

Jesus Teaches About Giving

“·Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them [or Be careful not to do/parade your righteous deeds] in front of people to be ·seen [noticed] by them. If you do that, you will ·have no [lose the] reward from your Father in heaven.

[L So] When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets [C either figuratively (“blow their own horn”) or literally, since trumpets sometimes announced public events] in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and ·honor [admire] them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [C praise from people, rather than reward from God]. So when you give to the poor, don’t let ·anyone know what you are [L your left hand know what your right hand is] doing. Your giving should be done in ·secret [private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer(A)

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will ·see [notice] them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. When you pray, you should go into your [private; inner] room and close the door and pray to your Father ·who cannot be seen [or who is in that secret place; or secretly; in private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

“And when you pray, don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [L they will be heard; C the passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. So when you pray, you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,
·may your name always be kept holy [T Hallowed be your name].
10 May your kingdom come
·and what you want [Your will] be done,
    here on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us ·the food we need for each day [T today our daily bread].
12 Forgive us for our ·sins [L debts],
    just as we have forgiven ·those who sinned against us [L our debtors; C sin is pictured as a debt owed].
13 And ·do not cause us to be tempted [T lead us not into temptation; or do not put us to the test],
but ·save [rescue; deliver] us from ·the Evil One [or evil].’
|The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.|[a]

14 ·Yes, [For] if you forgive others for their ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses], your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses].

Jesus Teaches About Worship

16 “When you fast [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes], don’t put on a ·sad [gloomy; somber] face like the hypocrites. They make their faces ·look sad [disheveled; disfigured; unattractive] to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [v. 2]. 17 So when you fast [v. 16], ·comb your hair [L put oil on/anoint your head; C typical first century grooming] and wash your face. 18 Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, ·whom you cannot see [who is hidden/in secret], will see you. Your Father sees what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

God Is More Important than Money(B)

19 “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 But store ·your [for yourselves] treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

22 “The eye is ·a light [L the lamp] for the body. If your eyes are ·good [healthy; clear], your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are ·evil [unhealthy; bad], your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the ·only light you have [or light you think you have; L light in you] is really darkness, then ·you have the worst darkness [how great that darkness is!].

24 “No one can serve two ·masters [lords]. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will ·follow [be devoted/loyal to] one master and ·refuse to follow [despise] the other. You cannot serve both God and ·worldly riches [money; L mammon].

Don’t Worry(C)

25 “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 26 ·Look at [Consider; Think of] the birds in the air. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap] or ·store food in [gather into] barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And ·you know that you are [L aren’t you…?] worth much more than the birds. 27 ·You cannot [L Who of you can…?] add ·any time [or one step; L one cubit; C about eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; C the Greek probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it.

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? ·Look at [Consider; Think] how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [L spin thread]. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [L in all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 ·God clothes [L If God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is ·alive [here] today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [L furnace; oven]. ·So you can be even more sure that God will [Will he not much more…?] clothe you. ·Don’t have so little faith [or How little faith you have; T You of little faith]! 31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 The ·people who don’t know God [Gentiles; pagans; unbelievers] ·keep trying to get [eagerly seek; run after] these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33 ·Seek first [Be concerned above all else with] God’s kingdom and ·what God wants [L his righteousness]. Then all ·your other needs will be met as well [L these things will be given to you]. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will ·have its own worries [or worry about/take care of itself]. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:13 The . . . Amen. Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.

Giving to the Needy

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.(A) If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.(B)

Prayer(C)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing(D) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,(E) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling(F) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.(G) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need(H) before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father(I) in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom(J) come,
your will be done,(K)
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.(L)
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.(M)
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a](N)
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b](O)

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.(P) 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.(Q)

Fasting

16 “When you fast,(R) do not look somber(S) as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.(T)

Treasures in Heaven(U)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,(V) where moths and vermin destroy,(W) and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,(X) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.(Y) 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(Z)

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.(AA)

Do Not Worry(AB)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry(AC) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.(AD) Are you not much more valuable than they?(AE) 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?(AF)

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor(AG) was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?(AH) 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.(AI) 33 But seek first his kingdom(AJ) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(AK) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
  2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  3. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  4. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
  5. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.