Matthew 6:5-7:29

Holman Christian Standard Bible

How to Pray

⁵ “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!^{(A) 6} But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^{[a](B) 7} When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,^[b] since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.^{(C) 8} Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.^(D)

The Model Prayer

⁹ “Therefore, you should pray like this:^(E)

¹⁴ “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,^[g] your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.^{(K) 15} But if you don’t forgive people,^[h] your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.^[i]

How to Fast

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive^[j](L) so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,^{(M) 18} so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[k]

God and Possessions

¹⁹ “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures^[l] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.^{(N) 20} But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(O) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!^(P)

²⁴ “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.^(Q)

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “This is why I tell you:^(R) Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?^{(S) 26} Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?^{(T) 27} Can any of you add a single cubit to his height^[m] by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! ³⁰ If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?^{(U) 31} So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the idolaters^[n] eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God^[o](V) and His righteousness,^(W) and all these things will be provided for you.^{(X) 34} Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble^(Y) of its own.

Do Not Judge

7 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.^{(Z) 2} For with the judgment you use,^[p] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,^[q] it will be measured to you.^{(AA) 3} Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?^{(AB) 4} Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ⁶ Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,^(AC) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

⁷ “Keep asking,^[r](AD) and it will be given to you.^(AE) Keep searching,^[s] and you will find. Keep knocking,^[t] and the door^[u] will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,^(AF) and to the one who knocks, the door^[v] will be opened. ⁹ What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil,^(AG) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.^[w](AH)

Entering the Kingdom

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(AI) For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,^(AJ) and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets^(AK) who come to you in sheep’s^(AL) clothing^(AM) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.^{(AN) 16} You’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(AO) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?^{(AP) 17} In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(AQ) 20} So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.^(AR)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(AS) but only the one who does the will^(AT) of My Father in heaven.^{(AU) 22} On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons^(AV) in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’^{(AW) 23} Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’^[x](AX)[y]

The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(AY) everyone who hears these words^(AZ) of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished this sermon,^[z](BA) the crowds were astonished at His teaching,^{(BB) 29} because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.