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.

⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^(A) and a reminder on your forehead^(B) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.^(C)

¹⁶ And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead^(A) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

³⁸ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come^(A) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,^(B) with a blue cord on each tassel. ³⁹ You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember^(C) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves^(D) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts^(E) and eyes.

⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^(A)

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^(A)