⁵ “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to ^(A)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners ^(B)so that they ^[a]will be seen by people. ^(C)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶ But as for you, when you pray, ^(D)go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and ^(E)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their ^(F)many words. ⁸ So do not be like them; for ^(G)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

The Lord’s Prayer

⁹ “^(H)Pray, then, in this way:

^14 (O)For if you forgive other people for their ^[h]offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But ^(P)if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your ^[i]offenses.

Instruction about Prayer

11 It happened that while ^[a]Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” ² And He said to them, “^(A)When you pray, say:

⁵ And He said to them, “^[f]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’; ⁷ and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children ^[g]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet ^(D)because of his ^[h]shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, ^[i](E)ask, and it will be given to you; ^[j]seek, and you will find; ^[k]knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. ¹¹ Now ^[l]which one of you fathers will his son ask for a ^[m]fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? ¹² Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? ¹³ So ^(F)if you, despite being ^[n]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ^[o]your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”