Matthew 6

Don’t Do Good Works to Be Praised by People

1 “Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.2 So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.3 When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

4 Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

The Lord’s Prayer—Luke 11:1–4

5 “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.

6 When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t ramble like heathens who think they’ll be heard if they talk a lot.

8 Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This is how you should pray:Our Father in heaven,let your name be kept holy.10 Let your kingdom come.Let your will be done on earthas it is done in heaven.11 Give us our daily bread today.12 Forgive us as we forgive others.13 Don’t allow us to be tempted.Instead, rescue us from the evil one.t14 “If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures.

Fasting

16 “When you fast, stop looking sad like hypocrites. They put on sad faces to make it obvious that they’re fasting. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.17 When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair.

18 Then your fasting won’t be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

True Riches

19 “Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.20 Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don’t destroy and thieves don’t break in and steal.

21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!
24 “No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Stop Worrying—Luke 12:22–34

25 “So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?26 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?27 “Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?28 “And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes.29 But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers.

30 That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
31 “Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’32 Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.

33 But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.
34 “So don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6

1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not 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 received their reward.3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:4 that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

5 And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.7 And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.8 Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.9 After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.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 be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;18 that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:21 for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.22 The lamp 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 the 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 one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.25 Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious 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 the food, and the body than the raiment?26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God doth 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 Be not therefore anxious, 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 his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.