Matthew 6
6
1“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. 2When you give to the poor, don't be like the hypocrites#6:2. A word taken from the Greek which literally means “play-acting.” 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. 3When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing. 4That way what you give will be in secret, and your Father who sees what happens in secret will reward you.
5When 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. 6But 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. 7When you pray, don't babble on meaninglessly like the foreigners do, who think they will be heard because of all the words they repeat. 8Don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. 9So pray like this:
Our heavenly Father, may your name be honored. 10May your kingdom come! May your will be carried out in earth as it is in heaven. 11Please give to us today the food we need. 12Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13Please don't let us give in to temptation,#6:13. Or “Please don't allow us to enter temptation.” The sense here is permissive rather than causative. In other words the prayer is for God not to allow temptation to overcome us. He is not the one bringing the temptation. and save us from the evil one.
14For if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you don't forgive those who sin against you, then your heavenly Father won't forgive your sins.
16When 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. 17Instead, when you fast, wash your face and look smart, 18so that people won't see you're fasting, and your unseen Father who sees what happens in private will reward you.
19Don't pile up wealth here on earth where moths and rust ruin it, and where thieves break in and steal it. 20Instead, 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. 21For what you value the most shows who you really are.
22The eye is like a lamp that lights the body. So if your eye is healthy,#6:22. Or “good, innocent.” then your whole body will have light. 23But if your eye is evil, then your whole body will be in the dark. If the ‘light’ you have is actually darkness, how dark is that! 24No 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.#6:24. Literally, “Mammon,” a transliteration from the Aramaic word for the Syrian god of money and wealth.
25That'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? 26Look at the birds#6:26. Literally, “birds of the air,” referring to wild birds rather than domesticated 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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a minute to your life? 28And 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. 29But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these flowers. 30So 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? 31So don't worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32These are all the things that the heathen chase after, but your heavenly Father knows everything you need. 33Seek his kingdom first, and his way of living right, and everything will be given to you. 34So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow can worry about itself. There's already enough evil in every day.”
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Matthew 6: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 6
6
Jesus Teaches About Giving
1“Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them in front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and honor them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. 3So when you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know what you are doing. 4Your giving should be done in secret. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
Jesus Teaches About Prayer
5“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. 6When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
7“And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words. 8Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. 9So when you pray, you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name always be kept holy.
10May your kingdom come
and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us the food we need for each day.
12Forgive us for our sins,
just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.
13And do not cause us to be tempted,
but save us from the Evil One.’ [The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.]
14Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. 15But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.
Jesus Teaches About Worship
16“When you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look sad to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. 17So when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
God Is More Important than Money
19“Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. 20But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21Your heart will be where your treasure is.
22“The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness.
24“No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.
Don’t Worry
25“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 26Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 27You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
28“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 31Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 34So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.