Matthew 6

Showy religion

1 “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing

4 so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

Showy prayer

5 “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.

6 But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

Proper prayer

7 “When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard.8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask.

9 Pray like this:
Our Father who is in heaven,
uphold the holiness of your name.
10 Bring in your kingdom
so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.
11 Give us the bread we need for today.
12 Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you,
just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.

13 And don’t lead us into temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

Showy fasting

16 “And when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They distort their faces so people will know they are fasting. I assure you that they have their reward.17 When you fast, brush your hair and wash your face.

18 Then you won’t look like you are fasting to people, but only to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Earthly and heavenly treasures

19 “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them.20 Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them.

21 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Seeing and serving

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how terrible that darkness will be!

24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Worry about necessities

25 “Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?26 Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?27 Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?28 And why do you worry about clothes? Notice how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth.29 But I say to you that even Solomon in all of his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these.30 If God dresses grass in the field so beautifully, even though it’s alive today and tomorrow it’s thrown into the furnace, won’t God do much more for you, you people of weak faith?31 Therefore, don’t worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’32 Gentiles long for all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because 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