Matthew, 6

1. 'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.

1. "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

2. "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing;

3. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4. your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

4. so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5. 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

5. "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6. But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

6. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7. 'In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.

7. "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

8. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9. So you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy,

9. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

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

10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11. Give us today our daily bread.

11. Give us this day our daily bread;

12. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

12. And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;

13. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the Evil One.

13. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

14. 'Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours;

14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;

15. but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.

15. but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16. 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

16. "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17. But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face,

17. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18. so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

18. that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

19. 'Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.

19. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,

20. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal.

20. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21. For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too.

21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22. 'The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light.

22. "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light;

23. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!

23. but if your eye is not sound, 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 be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.

24. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25. 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing!

25. "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26. Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?

26. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27. Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life?

27. And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?

28. And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin;

28. And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;

29. yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these.

29. yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30. Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith?

30. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

31. So do not worry; do not say, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?"

31. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'

32. It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.

32. For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

33. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.

33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

34. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

34. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.