MATTHÉÜS 6

Bergpredikasie (vervolg). Liefdadigheid, gebed en vas.

1 PAS op dat julle nie jul liefdadigheid voor die mense bewys om deur hulle gesien te word nie; anders het julle geen loon by julle Vader wat in die hemele is nie.

2 Wanneer jy dan liefdadigheid bewys, moenie ’n trompet voor jou blaas soos die geveinsdes in die sinagoges en op die strate doen, dat hulle deur die mense geëer kan word nie. Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, hulle het hul loon weg.

3 Maar jy, as jy liefdadigheid bewys, laat jou linkerhand nie weet wat jou regterhand doen nie,

4 sodat jou liefdadigheid in die verborgene kan wees; en jou Vader wat in die verborgene sien, Hy sal jou in die openbaar vergelde.

5 En wanneer jy bid, moet jy nie wees soos die geveinsdes nie; want hulle hou daarvan om in die sinagoges en op die hoeke van die strate te staan en bid, om deur die mense gesien te word. Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle dat hulle hul loon weg het.

6 Maar jy, wanneer jy bid, gaan in jou binnekamer, sluit jou deur en bid jou Vader wat in die verborgene is; en jou Vader wat in die verborgene sien, tsal jou in die openbaar vergelde.

7 En as julle bid, gebruik nie ’n ydele herhaling van woorde soos die heidene nie, want hulle dink dat hulle tdeur hul baie woorde verhoor sal word.

8 Moet dan nie soos hulle word nie, twant jul Vader weet wat julle nodig het voordat julle Hom vra.

9 Só moet julle dan bid: tOnse Vader wat in die hemele is, laat u Naam geheilig word;

10  tlaat u koninkryk kom; tlaat u wil geskied, tsoos in die hemel net so ook op die aarde;

11 gee ons vandag ons daaglikse brood;

12 en vergeef ons ons tskulde, soos ons ook ons skuldenaars vergewe;

13  ten lei ons nie in versoeking nie, maar verlos ons tvan die Bose. tWant aan U behoort die koninkryk en die krag en die heerlikheid tot in ewigheid. Amen.

14  tWant as julle die mense hulle oortredinge vergewe, sal julle hemelse Vader julle ook vergewe.

15  tMaar as julle die mense hulle oortredinge nie vergewe nie, sal julle Vader julle oortredinge ook nie vergewe nie.

16 En twanneer julle vas, moenie lang gesigte trek soos die geveinsdes nie; want hulle mismaak hul gesigte, sodat dit deur die mense gesien kan word dat hulle vas. Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, hulle het hul loon weg.

17 Maar jy, as jy vas, tsalf jou hoof en was jou gesig,

18 sodat jy nie die mense laat sien dat jy vas nie, maar jou Vader wat in die verborgene is; en jou Vader wat in die verborgene sien, sal jou in die openbaar vergelde.

Bergpredikasie (vervolg). Die skat in die hemel. Die gesonde oog. Die twee here. Die kwelling oor die lewe.

19 MOENIE vir julle skatte bymekaarmaak op die aarde, waar mot en roes verniel en waar diewe inbreek en steel nie;

20  tmaar maak vir julle skatte bymekaar in die hemel, waar geen mot of roes verniel nie en waar diewe nie inbreek en steel nie;

21 want waar julle skat is, daar sal julle hart ook wees.

22  tDie lamp van die liggaam is die oog. As jou oog dan reg is, sal jou hele liggaam verlig wees.

23 Maar as jou oog tverkeerd is, sal jou hele liggaam donker wees. As dan die lig in jou donkerheid is, hoe groot is die donkerheid nie!

24  tNiemand kan twee here dien nie; want òf hy sal die een haat en die ander liefhê, òf hy sal die een aanhang en die ander verag. Julle kan nie God én tMammon dien nie!

25  tDaarom sê Ek vir julle: tMoenie julle kwel oor jul lewe — wat julle sal eet en wat julle sal drink nie; of oor jul liggaam — wat julle sal aantrek nie. Is die lewe nie meer as die voedsel en die liggaam as die klere nie?

26 Kyk na die voëls van die hemel; hulle saai nie en hulle maai nie en hulle bring nie bymekaar in skure nie, en tog voed julle hemelse Vader hulle. Is julle nie baie meer werd as hulle nie?

27 Wie tog onder julle kan, deur hom te kwel, teen el by sy lengte voeg?

28 En wat kwel julle jul oor klere? Let op die lelies van die veld, hoe hulle groei; hulle arbei nie en hulle spin nie;

29 en Ek sê vir julle dat selfs tSalomo in al sy heerlikheid nie bekleed was soos een van hulle nie.

30 As God dan die gras van die veld, wat vandag daar is en môre in ’n oond gegooi word, so beklee, hoeveel te meer vir julle, tkleingelowiges?

31 Daarom moet julle jul nie kwel en sê: Wat sal ons eet, of wat sal ons drink, of wat sal ons aantrek nie?

32 Want na al hierdie dinge soek die heidene; twant julle hemelse Vader weet dat julle al hierdie dinge nodig het.

33 Maar soek eers die koninkryk van God en sy geregtigheid, ten al hierdie dinge sal vir julle bygevoeg word.
34 Kwel julle dus nie oor môre nie, want môre sal hom oor sy eie dinge kwel. Elke dag het genoeg aan sy eie kwaad.

Matthew 6

1  TAKE CARE not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.2  Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.3  But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,4  So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. 5  Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.6  But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open .7  And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.]8  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.9  Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.10  Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.11  Give us this day our daily bread.12  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.13  And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14  For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15  But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.16  And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already. 17  But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face,18  So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. 19  Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.20  But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.22  The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.23  But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!24  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).25  Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?26  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?27  And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? 28  And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.29  Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?31  Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?32  For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.33  But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.34  So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.