Charitable Giving to the Poor and Prayer

“Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, (A)to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

“So when you [a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they (B)will be praised by people. (C)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and (D)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

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

“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 (J)many words. So do not be like them; for (K)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

The Lord’s Prayer

(L)Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[d]Hallowed be Your name.
10 [e](M)Your kingdom come.
(N)Your will be done,
[f]On earth as it is in heaven.
11 (O)Give us this day [g]our daily bread.
12 And (P)forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but (Q)deliver us from [h](R)evil.[i]

14 (S)For if you forgive other people for their [j]offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (T)if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your [k]offenses.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth

16 “Now (U)whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [l]distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. (V)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But as for you, when you fast, [m](W)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your (X)Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

19 (Y)Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves (Z)treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for (AA)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 (AB)The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is [n]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if (AC)your eye is [o]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 (AD)No one can 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 cannot serve God and [p](AE)wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25 (AF)For this reason I say to you, [q]do not be (AG)worried about your [r]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 (AH)Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by (AI)worrying can (AJ)add a single [s]day to his [t]life’s span? 28 And why are you (AK)worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even (AL)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the (AM)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? (AN)You of little faith! 31 Do not (AO)worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for (AP)your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [u]seek first [v]His kingdom and His righteousness, and (AQ)all these things will be [w]provided to you.

34 “So do not (AR)worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [x]worry about itself. [y]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:2 Lit make a charitable gift
  2. Matthew 6:3 Lit make a charitable gift
  3. Matthew 6:5 Lit may show themselves to
  4. Matthew 6:9 I.e., treated as sacred or holy
  5. Matthew 6:10 Or May Your...come
  6. Matthew 6:10 Lit as in heaven, also on earth
  7. Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
  8. Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one
  9. Matthew 6:13 Late mss add For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
  10. Matthew 6:14 Or wrongdoings
  11. Matthew 6:15 Or wrongdoings
  12. Matthew 6:16 I.e., leave unwashed, or discolor their faces with makeup
  13. Matthew 6:17 I.e., rub oil in the hair
  14. Matthew 6:22 Or healthy; or sincere
  15. Matthew 6:23 Or evil
  16. Matthew 6:24 Gr mamonas, for Aramaic mamon (mammon); i.e., wealth etc. personified as an object of worship
  17. Matthew 6:25 Or stop being worried
  18. Matthew 6:25 Lit soul
  19. Matthew 6:27 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
  20. Matthew 6:27 Or height
  21. Matthew 6:33 Or continually seek
  22. Matthew 6:33 Or the kingdom
  23. Matthew 6:33 Or added
  24. Matthew 6:34 Or look after itself
  25. Matthew 6:34 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evil

施舍不可张扬

“你们小心,不要在众人面前行你们的义,让他们看见;如果这样,就得不到你们天父的赏赐。 因此你施舍的时候,不可到处张扬,好象伪君子在会堂和街上所作的一样,以博取众人的称赞。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 你施舍的时候,不要让左手知道右手所作的, 好使你的施舍是在隐密中行的。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。

如何祷告(A)

“你们祈祷的时候,不可像伪君子;他们喜欢在会堂和路口站着祈祷,好让人看见。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 但你祈祷的时候,要进到密室里去,关上门,向在隐密中的父祈祷。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。 你们祈祷的时候,不可重复无意义的话,像教外人一样,他们以为话多了就蒙垂听。 你们不可像他们,因为在你们祈求以先,你们的父已经知道你们的需要了。 所以你们要这样祈祷:

‘我们在天上的父,

愿你的名被尊为圣,

10 愿你的国降临,

愿你的旨意成就在地上,

如同在天上一样。

11 我们每天所需的食物,

求你今天赐给我们;

12 赦免我们的罪债,

好象我们饶恕了得罪我们的人;

13 不要让我们陷入试探,

救我们脱离那恶者。’(有些后期抄本在此有“因为国度、权柄、荣耀,全是你的,直到永远。阿们”一句)

14 如果你们饶恕别人的过犯,你们的天父也必饶恕你们。 15 如果你们不饶恕别人,你们的父也必不饶恕你们的过犯。

禁食不让人知

16 “你们禁食的时候,不可像伪君子那样愁眉苦脸,他们装成难看的样子,叫人看出他们在禁食。我实在告诉你们,他们已经得了他们的赏赐。 17 可是你禁食的时候,要梳头洗脸, 18 不要叫人看出你在禁食,只让在隐密中的父看见。你父在隐密中察看,必定报答你。

积财于天(B)

19 “不可为自己在地上积聚财宝,因为地上有虫蛀,有锈侵蚀,也有贼挖洞来偷。 20 要为自己积聚财宝在天上,那里没有虫蛀锈蚀,也没有贼挖洞来偷。 21 你的财宝在哪里,你的心也在哪里。

里面的光(C)

22 “眼睛就是身体的灯。如果你的眼睛健全,全身就都明亮; 23 如果你的眼睛有毛病,全身就都黑暗。如果你里面的光变成黑暗,这是多么的黑暗!

不要为明天忧虑(D)

24 “一个人不能服事两个主人;他若不是恨这个爱那个,就是忠于这个轻视那个。你们不能服事 神,又服事金钱(“金钱”亚兰文是“玛门”)。 25 所以我告诉你们,不要为生命忧虑吃甚么喝甚么,也不要为身体忧虑穿甚么。难道生命不比食物重要吗?身体不比衣服重要吗? 26 你们看天空的飞鸟:牠们不撒种,不收割,也不收进仓里,你们的天父尚且养活牠们;难道你们不比牠们更宝贵吗? 27 你们中间谁能用忧虑使自己的寿命延长一刻呢? 28 何必为衣服忧虑呢?试想田野的百合花怎样生长,它们不劳苦,也不纺织。 29 但我告诉你们,就是所罗门最威荣的时候所穿的,也比不上这花中的一朵。 30 田野的草,今天还在,明天就投进炉里, 神尚且这样妆扮它们;小信的人哪,何况你们呢? 31 所以不要忧虑,说:‘我们该吃甚么?喝甚么?穿甚么?’ 32 这些都是教外人所寻求的,你们的天父原知道你们需要这一切。 33 你们要先求他的国和他的义,这一切都必加给你们。 34 所以不要为明天忧虑,因为明天自有明天的忧虑,一天的难处一天当就够了。”