Do Not Worry^(A)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry^(B) 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? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.^(C) Are you not much more valuable than they?^{(D) 27} Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?^(E)

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor^(F) was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If 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?^{(G) 31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.^{(H) 33} But seek first his kingdom^(I) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.^{(J) 34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

²⁰ “See, I am sending an angel^(A) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.^{(B) 21} Pay attention to him and listen^(C) to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive^(D) your rebellion,^(E) since my Name^(F) is in him. ²² If you listen carefully to what he says and do^(G) all that I say, I will be an enemy^(H) to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. ²³ My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(I) and I will wipe them out. ²⁴ Do not bow down before their gods or worship^(J) them or follow their practices.^(K) You must demolish^(L) them and break their sacred stones^(M) to pieces. ²⁵ Worship the Lord your God,^(N) and his blessing^(O) will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness^(P) from among you, ²⁶ and none will miscarry or be barren^(Q) in your land. I will give you a full life span.^(R)

²⁷ “I will send my terror^(S) ahead of you and throw into confusion^(T) every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.^{(U) 28} I will send the hornet^(V) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites^(W) out of your way. ²⁹ But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals^(X) too numerous for you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession^(Y) of the land.

³¹ “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea^[a] to the Mediterranean Sea,^[b] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.^(Z) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out^(AA) before you. ³² Do not make a covenant^(AB) with them or with their gods. ³³ Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare^(AC) to you.”