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.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see:^(A) They make their phylacteries^[a](B) wide and the tassels on their garments^(C) long;

¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^(A)

⁴³ for they loved human praise^(A) more than praise from God.^(B)

¹² Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh^(A) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.^(B) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted^(C) for the cross of Christ.

²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets^(A) and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.^(A)

Prayer^(B)

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing^(C) 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,^(D) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before^(A) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy^(B) for unjust gain.^(C)

⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.^(A)