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.

Matthew 6

Giving

Jesus said:

1 When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.t

2 When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
3 When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.t

4 Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Prayer

(Luke 11.2-4)

Jesus continued:

5 When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.t

6 When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you.
7 When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers.

8 Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask.

9 You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honour
your name.

10 Come and set up
your kingdom,
so that everyone on earth
will obey you,
as you are obeyed
in heaven.

11 Give us our food for today.t

12 Forgive us for doing wrong,
as we forgive others.

13 Keep us from being tempted
and protect us from evil.t
14 If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you.t

15 But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Worshipping God by going without eating

Jesus continued:

18 Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Treasures in heaven

(Luke 12.33,34)

Jesus continued:

21 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

Light

(Luke 11.34-36)

Jesus continued:

23 But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you are in the dark.

Money

(Luke 16.13)

Jesus continued:

24 You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Worry

(Luke 12.22-31)

Jesus continued:

26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds?
27 Can worry make you live longer?t 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. 29 But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealtht wasn't as well clothed as one of them.t

30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?
31 Don't worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these.

33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
34 Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.