Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(A) and to be holy;^(B) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^{(C) 15} See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God^(D) and that no bitter root^(E) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral,^(F) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^(G)

Prayer^(A)

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing^(B) 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,^(C) 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^(D) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.^{(E) 8} Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need^(F) before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.^{(N) 15} But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.^(O)