New International Version | New Living Translation |
1"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. | 1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. |
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, | 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. |
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. | 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Teaching about Prayer and Fasting |
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. |
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. | 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. |
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. | 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. |
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. | 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! |
9"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, | 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. |
10your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. | 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. |
11Give us today our daily bread. | 11 Give us today the food we need, |
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. | 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. |
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' | 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. |
14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. | 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. |
15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. | 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. |
16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. |
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, | 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. |
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. | 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Teaching about Money and Possessions |
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. | 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. |
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. | 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. |
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. | 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. |
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. | 22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. |
23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! | 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! |
24"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. | 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. |
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? | 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? |
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? | 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? |
27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? | 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? |
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. | 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, |
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. | 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. |
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? | 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? |
31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' | 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ |
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. | 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. |
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. | 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. |
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. | 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|