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Matthew 6
New Catholic Bible
Matthew 6
New Catholic Bible
The True Practice of Religion[a]
Chapter 6
Giving Alms in Secret. 1 “Beware of performing righteous deeds before others in order to impress them. If you do so, you will receive no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, whenever you give alms, do not trumpet your generosity, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Your almsgiving must be done in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
Praying in Secret. 5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may observe them doing so. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer.[b] 7 “When you pray do not go on babbling endlessly as the pagans do, for they believe that they are more likely to be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not imitate them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,[c]
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
16 Fasting in Secret.[d]“Whenever you fast, do not assume a gloomy expression like the hypocrites who contort their faces so that others may realize that they are fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that the fact that you are fasting will not be obvious to others but only to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
19 Treasures in Heaven.[e]“Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.
22 The Lamp of the Body.[f]“The eyes are the lamp of the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be filled with light. 23 However, if your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be in darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great will that darkness be!
24 God and Money.“No one can serve two masters. For you will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.[g]
25 Seek First the Kingdom of God.[h]“Therefore, heed my words. Do not be concerned about your life and what you will have to eat or drink, or about your body and what you will wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
26 “Gaze upon the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of far greater value than they? 27 Can any of you through worrying add a single moment to your span of life?
28 “And why are you concerned about what you are to wear? Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They neither labor nor spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his royal splendor was clothed like one of these. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not all the more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore, stop being anxious about such things. Do not say: ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 These are things that are of concern to the Gentiles. Your heavenly Father is fully aware of all your needs. 33 Rather, seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.
Footnotes
- Matthew 6:1 Almsgiving (vv. 2-4), prayer (vv. 5-15), and fasting (vv. 16-18) are characteristics of the Jewish religion, or of the “righteous.” Jesus does not teach other practices but is concerned with the spirit of our religious acts so that they may lead to God’s presence and bring the joy of being children of God. Believers do not vaunt themselves or make a show of their religion; they listen to God. True religion is authentic spiritual life rather than spectacle and confusion or human respect.
- Matthew 6:7 In response to a request from his disciples to teach them to pray (see Lk 11:1), Jesus entrusts them with the fundamental Christian prayer, the Our Father. It is also called the Lord’s Prayer because it comes to us from the Lord Jesus, the master and model of prayer. The Lord’s Prayer constitutes the summary of the whole Gospel, lies at the center of the Scriptures, and is the most perfect of prayers. The object of the first three petitions is the glory of the Father: the sanctification of his name, the coming of the kingdom, and the fulfillment of his will. The four others present our wants to him: they ask that our lives be nourished, healed of sin, and made victorious in the struggle of good over evil.
- Matthew 6:13 Temptation: in the New Testament, temptation is a test in which Satan tries to destroy the believer. Consequently, it cannot be attributed to God. God, however, can give the strength and means of overcoming it: this is the meaning of the petition. The Semitic expression “do not lead us into” is therefore to be understood as meaning “do not allow us to enter into or succumb to temptation” (see Mt 26:41; 1 Tim 6:9).
- Matthew 6:16 Fasting is an action that evinces a desire to live more closely in the disinterested service of God; this produces profound joy. The sole fast prescribed by the Mosaic Law was that of the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16:31), but in later Judaism fasting became a regular practice (see Didache 9:1).
- Matthew 6:19 In this and the two following texts Jesus is responding to the faulty side of our way of thinking and acting. In order to affirm the primacy of God so simply and surely, we must live unceasingly in the presence of the Father. Those who guard their inner freedom, the desire for light, understand Jesus. But it is impossible to be open to God when desire for possessions has become the motivating force of one’s life.
- Matthew 6:22 Those with good vision can readily direct their bodily movements. Similarly, those who utilize the prophetic vision of Christ can direct their way to God.
- Matthew 6:24 Money: literally, “Mammon” (an Aramaic word), a personification of wealth.
- Matthew 6:25 Jesus warns us against making real human needs the object of overly anxious cares and thus becoming enslaved by them. The remedy for such an attitude is to seek first God’s kingdom and to show confidence in God’s providence.
Matthew 6
New International Version
Matthew 6
New International Version
Giving to the Needy
6 “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.
2 “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. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.(B)
Prayer(C)
5 “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. 6 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. 7 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) 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need(H) before you ask him.
9 “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
- Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
- Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
- Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
- Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height
馬太福音 6
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
馬太福音 6
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
論賙濟窮人
6 「你們要小心，行善的時候不可張揚，故意叫人看見，否則就不能得你們天父的賞賜了。
2 「因此，賙濟窮人的時候，不要大吹大擂，像那些偽君子在會堂和街市上所行的一樣，以博取人們的讚賞。我實在告訴你們，他們得到的賞賜僅此而已。 3 你們賙濟窮人的時候，右手所做的別叫左手知道， 4 要不聲不響地去做。這樣，鑒察隱祕事的天父必賞賜你們。
論禱告
5 「你們禱告時，不要像偽君子那樣。他們喜歡站在會堂裡和十字路口上公開禱告，故意讓人看見。我實在告訴你們，他們得到的賞賜不過是人的讚賞。 6 你們禱告的時候，要進入內室，關上門，向你們肉眼看不見的父祈禱，鑒察隱祕事的父必賞賜你們。
7 「你們禱告時不可像外族人那樣喋喋不休，他們以為長篇大論，就必蒙上帝垂聽。 8 不可像他們那樣，因為在你們禱告以前，你們的父已經知道你們的需要了。
9 「你們應當這樣禱告，
『我們天上的父，
願人們都尊崇你的聖名，
10 願你的國度降臨，
願你的旨意在地上成就，就像在天上成就一樣。
11 求你今天賜給我們日用的飲食。
12 饒恕我們的罪，
就像我們饒恕了得罪我們的人。
13 不要讓我們遇見誘惑，
救我們脫離那惡者。
因為國度、權柄、榮耀都是你的，直到永遠。阿們！』
14 「如果你們饒恕別人的過犯，你們的天父也必饒恕你們的過犯。 15 如果你們不饒恕別人的過犯，你們的天父也不會饒恕你們的過犯。
論禁食
16 「你們禁食的時候，不要像偽君子那樣愁眉苦臉，因為他們故意蓬頭垢面，好讓別人知道他們在禁食。我實在告訴你們，他們得到的賞賜不過是人的讚賞。 17 你禁食的時候要梳頭洗臉， 18 不叫人們看出你在禁食，只讓你肉眼看不見的父知道，鑒察隱祕事的父必賞賜你。
論積財
19 「不要為自己在世上積攢財寶，世上有蟲子咬，會生銹，又有賊闖進來偷。 20 你們要把財寶積攢在天上，天上沒有蟲子咬，不會生銹，也沒有賊闖進來偷。 21 要知道，你的財寶在哪裡，你的心也在哪裡。
22 「眼睛是身上的燈。如果你的眼睛明亮，全身都光明； 23 要是你的眼睛昏花[a]，全身就黑暗。如果你裡面的光黑暗了，那黑暗是多麼大啊！
24 「一個人不能服侍兩位主人，因為他不是恨這位、愛那位，就是重這位、輕那位。你們不能又事奉上帝，又崇拜金錢。
不要憂慮衣食
25 「所以我告訴你們，不要為生活憂慮，如吃什麼、喝什麼，也不要為身體憂慮，如穿什麼。難道生命不比飲食重要嗎？身體不比穿著重要嗎？
26 「你們看天上的飛鳥，牠們不種，不收，也不在倉裡積存糧食，你們的天父尚且養活牠們，難道你們還不如飛鳥貴重嗎？ 27 你們誰能用憂慮使自己多活片刻呢？
28 「何必為穿著憂慮呢？你們看看野地的百合花是如何生長的，它們既不勞苦，也不紡織。 29 但我告訴你們，就連所羅門王最顯赫時的穿戴還不如一朵百合花！ 30 你們的信心太小了！野地裡的草今天還在，明天就丟在爐中化為灰燼，上帝還這樣裝扮它們，何況你們呢？ 31 所以，你們不要憂慮『吃什麼？喝什麼？穿什麼？』 32 因為這些都是外族人的追求，你們的天父知道你們的需要。
33 「你們要先尋求上帝的國和祂的義，這一切都會賜給你們。 34 所以，不要為明天憂慮，因為明天自有明天的憂慮，一天的難處一天擔就夠了。
Footnotes
- 6·23 「昏花」或作「邪惡」。
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.