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"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. 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."And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing 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, 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 like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. '

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."When you fast, do not look somber 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.But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,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."Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"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."Therefore I tell you, do not worry 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?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. Are you not much more valuable than they?Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.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?So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Matthew 6

Pure-hearted Giving

1 “Bes careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people.t Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving,t do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagoguess and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth,t they have their reward.3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.s

Private Prayer

5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagoguess and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.6 But whenever you pray, go into your room,s close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.ss7 Whent you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.8 Dot not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 So pray this way:s
Our Fathers in heaven, may your name be honored,t

10 may your kingdom come,s
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread,t

12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselvest have forgiven our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,ts but deliver us from the evil one.st
14 “For if you forgive otherst their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Proper Fasting

16 “Whent you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractivet so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth,t they have their reward.17 Whent you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Lasting Treasure

19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where motht and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where yourt treasures is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy,t your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is diseased,ts your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hates the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despiset the other. You cannot serve God and money.ts

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worryt about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?26 Look at the birds in the sky:t They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedst them. Aren’t you more valuablet than they are?27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?t28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowerst of the field grow; they do not workt or spin.29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass,t which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven,ts won’t he clothe you even more,s you people of little faith?31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’32 For the unconvertedt pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But above all pursue his kingdomss and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.t