Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor^[a](A) and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies^[b] and pray for those who^[c] persecute you,^{(B) 45} so that you may be^[d] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(C) 46} For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?^[e](D) Don’t even the Gentiles^[f] do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect,^(E) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

How to Give

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness^[a] in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. ² So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.^{(A) 3} But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[b](B)

How to Pray

⁵ “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.^{(C) 6} But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^{[c](D) 7} When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.^{(E) 8} Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.^(F)

The Lord’s Prayer

⁹ “Therefore, you should pray like this: ^(G)

¹⁴ “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.^{(M) 15} But if you don’t forgive others,^[g] your Father will not forgive your offenses.

How to Fast

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces ^(N) so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,^{(O) 18} so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[h]

God and Possessions

¹⁹ “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures^[i] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.^{(P) 20} But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(Q) where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!^(R)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ^(S)