Matthew 6
1 “Pay attention, lest you perform your justice before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you shall not have a reward with your Father, who is in heaven.
Make sure not to do your good deeds in front of people, just so they can be seen. Otherwise you won't have any reward from your Father in heaven.
2 Therefore, when you give alms, do not choose to sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the towns, so that they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
When you give to the poor, don't be like the hypocrites who blow their own trumpets to announce what they're doing in the synagogues and in the streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth: they already have their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing.
4 so that your almsgiving may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
That way what you give will be in secret, and your Father who sees what happens in secret will reward you.
5 And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites, who love standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets to pray, so that they may be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.
When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people can see them. I promise you, they already have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
But you, when you pray, go indoors and close the door, and pray to your Father in private, and your Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
7 And when praying, do not choose many words, as the pagans do. For they think that by their excess of words they might be heeded.
When you pray, don't babble on meaninglessly like the foreigners do, who think they will be heard because of all the words they repeat.
8 Therefore, do not choose to imitate them. For your Father knows what your needs may be, even before you ask him.
Don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
9 Therefore, you shall pray in this way: Our Father, who is in heaven: May your name be kept holy.
So pray like this:
10 May your kingdom come. May your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.
Our heavenly Father, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come! May your will be carried out in earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our life-sustaining bread.
Please give to us today the food we need.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
13 And lead us not into temptation. But free us from evil. Amen.
Don't let us be tempted to do wrong, and save us from the evil one.
14 For if you will forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father also will forgive you your offenses.
For if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your sins.
But if you don't forgive those who sin against you, then your heavenly Father won't forgive your sins.
16 And when you fast, do not choose to become gloomy, like the hypocrites. For they alter their faces, so that their fasting may be apparent to men. Amen I say to you, that they have received their reward.
When you fast, don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces and make themselves look terrible so that everyone can see they're fasting. I tell you the truth, they already have their reward.
17 But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
Instead, when you fast, wash your face and look smart,
18 so that your fasting will not be apparent to men, but to your Father, who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
so that people won't see you're fasting, and your unseen Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
19 Do not choose to store up for yourselves treasures on earth: where rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in and steal.
Don't pile up wealth here on earth where moths and rust ruin it, and where thieves break in and steal it.
20 Instead, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither rust nor moth consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Instead, you should store up your wealth in heaven, where moths and rust don't ruin it, and where thieves don't break in and steal it.
21 For where your treasure is, there also is your heart.
For what you value the most shows who you really are.
22 The lamp of your body is your eye. If your eye is wholesome, your entire body will be filled with light.
The eye is like a lamp that lights the body. So if your eye is healthy, then your whole body will have light.
23 But if your eye has been corrupted, your entire body will be darkened. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great will that darkness be!
But if your eye is evil, then your whole body will be in the dark. If the light in you is darkness, how dark is that!
24 No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will have hatred for the one, and love the other, or he will persevere with the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
No one can serve two masters. Either you'll hate one and love the other, or you'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Money.
25 And so I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, as to what you will eat, nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
That's why I'm telling you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about what to eat, or what to drink, or what clothes to put on. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Consider the birds of the air, how they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much greater value than they are?
Look at the birds—they don't sow or reap or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they are?
27 And which of you, by thinking, is able to add one cubit to his stature?
Who of you by worrying can add a minute to your life?
28 And as for clothing, why are you anxious? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither work nor weave.
And why are you worried about clothes? Look at the beautiful flowers in the field. See how they grow: they don't work hard, they don't spin thread.
29 But I say to you, that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was arrayed like one of these.
But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these flowers.
30 So if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and cast into the oven tomorrow, how much more will he care for you, O little in faith?
So if God decorates the fields like this, grass which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, won't he do much more for you, you people who trust so little?
31 Therefore, do not choose to be anxious, saying: ‘What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and with what shall we be clothed?’
So don't worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek all these things. Yet your Father knows that you need all these things.
These are all the things that the heathen chase after, but your heavenly Father knows everything you need.
33 Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added to you as well.
Seek his kingdom first, and his way of living right, and everything will be given to you.
34 Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow; for the future day will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its evil.”
So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow can worry about itself. There's already enough evil in every day.
