The Sermon on the Mount: Charitable Giving

“And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; otherwise[a] you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! But you, when you[b] practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Sermon on the Mount: How to Pray

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and[c] pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and[d] pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“But when you[e] pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need[f] before you ask him. Therefore you pray in this way:

“Our Father who is in heaven,
may your name be treated as holy.
10 May your kingdom come,
may your will be done
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[g]

14 For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

The Sermon on the Mount: How to Fast

16 “Whenever you fast, do not be sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unrecognizable in order that they may be seen fasting by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! 17 But when[h] you are fasting, put olive oil on your head[i] and wash your face 18 so that you will not be seen by people as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Sermon on the Mount: Treasure in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and consuming insect[j] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor consuming insect[k] destroy and where thieves do not break in or steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore if the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.[l]

The Sermon on the Mount: Anxiety

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat,[m] and not for your body, what you will wear. Is your life not more than food and your body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky, that they do not sow or reap or gather produce into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 And who among you, by[n] being anxious, is able to add one hour[o] to his life span? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, 29 but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 30 But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it[p] is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?,’ 32 for the pagans seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first his kingdom and righteousness,[q] and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.[r]

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:1 Literally “but if not”
  2. Matthew 6:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“practice”) which is understood as temporal
  3. Matthew 6:5 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stand”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Matthew 6:6 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“shut”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Matthew 6:7 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“pray”) which is understood as temporal
  6. Matthew 6:8 Literally “of what you have need”
  7. Matthew 6:13 Or “evil”; most later Greek manuscripts add the phrase “for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen”
  8. Matthew 6:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“fasting”) which is understood as temporal
  9. Matthew 6:17 Literally “anoint your head”
  10. Matthew 6:19 Traditionally “rust,” but more likely in this context along with “moth” the term refers to “eating” by other types of insects or vermin
  11. Matthew 6:20 Traditionally “rust,” but more likely in this context along with “moth” the term refers to “eating” by other types of insects or vermin
  12. Matthew 6:24 Traditionally transliterated from the Greek as “mammon”
  13. Matthew 6:25 Some manuscripts add “or what you will drink”; other later manuscripts add “and what you will drink”
  14. Matthew 6:27 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being anxious”) which is understood as means
  15. Matthew 6:27 Or “cubit”
  16. Matthew 6:30 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as concessive
  17. Matthew 6:33 Some manuscripts have “the kingdom of God and his righteousness”
  18. Matthew 6:34 Literally “sufficient for the day its trouble”

El dar a los necesitados

»Cuídense de no hacer sus obras de justicia delante de la gente para llamar la atención. Si actúan así, su Padre que está en el cielo no les dará ninguna recompensa.

»Por eso, cuando des a los necesitados, no lo anuncies al son de trompeta, como lo hacen los hipócritas en las sinagogas y en las calles para que la gente les rinda homenaje. Les aseguro que ellos ya han recibido toda su recompensa. Más bien, cuando des a los necesitados, que no se entere tu mano izquierda de lo que hace la derecha, para que tu limosna sea en secreto. Así tu Padre, que ve lo que se hace en secreto, te recompensará.

La oración(A)

»Cuando oren, no sean como los hipócritas, porque a ellos les encanta orar de pie en las sinagogas y en las esquinas de las plazas para que la gente los vea. Les aseguro que ya han obtenido toda su recompensa. Pero tú, cuando te pongas a orar, entra en tu cuarto, cierra la puerta y ora a tu Padre, que está en lo secreto. Así tu Padre, que ve lo que se hace en secreto, te recompensará. Y al orar, no hablen solo por hablar como hacen los gentiles, porque ellos se imaginan que serán escuchados por sus muchas palabras. No sean como ellos, porque su Padre sabe lo que ustedes necesitan antes de que se lo pidan.

»Ustedes deben orar así:

»“Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo,
santificado sea tu nombre.
10 Venga tu reino.
Hágase tu voluntad
    en la tierra como en el cielo.
11 Danos hoy nuestro pan cotidiano.[a]
12 Perdónanos nuestras ofensas,
    como también nosotros hemos perdonado a nuestros ofensores.
13 Y no nos dejes caer en tentación,
    sino líbranos del maligno”.[b]

14 »Porque si perdonan a otros sus ofensas, también los perdonará a ustedes su Padre celestial. 15 Pero si no perdonan a otros sus ofensas, tampoco su Padre perdonará a ustedes las suyas.

El ayuno

16 »Cuando ayunen, no pongan cara triste como hacen los hipócritas, que cambian sus rostros para mostrar que están ayunando. Les aseguro que estos ya han obtenido toda su recompensa. 17 Pero tú, cuando ayunes, perfúmate la cabeza y lávate la cara 18 para que no sea evidente ante los demás que estás ayunando, sino solo ante tu Padre, que está en lo secreto; y tu Padre, que ve lo que se hace en secreto, te recompensará.

Tesoros en el cielo(B)

19 »No acumulen para sí tesoros en la tierra, donde la polilla y el óxido destruyen, y donde los ladrones se meten a robar. 20 Más bien, acumulen para sí tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni el óxido carcomen, ni los ladrones se meten a robar. 21 Porque donde esté tu tesoro, allí estará también tu corazón.

22 »Los ojos son la lámpara del cuerpo. Por tanto, si tus ojos son buenos, todo tu ser disfrutará de la luz. 23 Pero si los ojos son malos, todo tu ser estará en oscuridad. Si la luz que hay en ti es oscuridad, ¡qué densa será esa oscuridad!

24 »Nadie puede servir a dos señores, pues menospreciará a uno y amará al otro o querrá mucho a uno y despreciará al otro. Ustedes no pueden servir a la vez a Dios y a las riquezas.

De nada sirve preocuparse(C)

25 »Por eso les digo: No se preocupen por su vida, qué comerán o beberán; ni por su cuerpo, cómo se vestirán. ¿No tiene la vida más valor que la comida y el cuerpo más que la ropa? 26 Fíjense en las aves del cielo: no siembran ni cosechan, ni almacenan en graneros; sin embargo, el Padre celestial las alimenta. ¿No valen ustedes mucho más que ellas? 27 ¿Quién de ustedes, por mucho que se preocupe, puede añadir una sola hora al curso de su vida?[c]

28 »¿Y por qué se preocupan por la ropa? Observen cómo crecen los lirios del campo. No trabajan ni hilan; 29 sin embargo, les digo que ni siquiera Salomón, con todo su esplendor, se vestía como uno de ellos. 30 Si así viste Dios a la hierba que hoy está en el campo y mañana es arrojada al horno, ¿no hará mucho más por ustedes, gente de poca fe? 31 Así que no se preocupen diciendo: “¿Qué comeremos?”, o “¿Qué beberemos?” o “¿Con qué nos vestiremos?”. 32 Los paganos andan tras todas estas cosas, pero su Padre celestial sabe que ustedes las necesitan. 33 Más bien, busquen primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia, entonces todas estas cosas les serán añadidas. 34 Por lo tanto, no se preocupen por el mañana, el cual tendrá sus propios afanes. Cada día tiene ya sus problemas.

Footnotes

  1. 6:11 nuestro pan cotidiano. Alt. el pan que necesitamos.
  2. 6:13 del maligno. Alt. del mal. Var. del maligno, porque tuyos son el reino y el poder y la gloria para siempre. Amén.
  3. 6:27 puede añadir … su vida. Alt. puede aumentar su estatura siquiera medio metro (lit. un codo).

Giving to the Needy

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.(A) If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“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. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.(B)

Prayer(C)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing(D) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,(E) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling(F) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.(G) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need(H) before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father(I) in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom(J) come,
your will be done,(K)
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.(L)
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.(M)
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a](N)
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b](O)

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.(P) 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.(Q)

Fasting

16 “When you fast,(R) do not look somber(S) 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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so 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.(T)

Treasures in Heaven(U)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,(V) where moths and vermin destroy,(W) and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,(X) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.(Y) 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.(Z)

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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.(AA)

Do Not Worry(AB)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry(AC) 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.(AD) Are you not much more valuable than they?(AE) 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?(AF)

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(AG) 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?(AH) 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.(AI) 33 But seek first his kingdom(AJ) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(AK) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
  2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  3. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  4. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
  5. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height