Matthew 6
Contemporary English Version
Giving
6 (A) When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.
2 When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
3 When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.[a] 4 Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you.
Prayer
(Luke 11.2-4)
5 (B) When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.
6 When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.
7 (C) When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. 8 Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask.
9 You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor
your name.
10 Come and set up
your kingdom,
so that everyone on earth
will obey you,
as you are obeyed
in heaven.
11 Give us our food for today.[b]
12 Forgive us for doing wrong,
as we forgive others.
13 Keep us from being tempted[c]
and protect us from evil.[d]
14 (D)(E) If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. 15 But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Worshiping God by Going without Eating
16 When you go without eating,[e] don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 17 (F) Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then others won't know you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12.33,34)
19 (G) Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 (H) Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
Light
(Luke 11.34-36)
22 Your eyes are a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need. 23 But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.
Money
(Luke 16.13)
24 You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Worry
(Luke 12.22-31)
25 I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth much more than birds?
27 Can worry make you live longer?[f] 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. 29 (I) But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth[g] wasn't as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?
31 Don't worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
34 Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Footnotes
- 6.3 don't let anyone know about it: The Greek text has, “Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
- 6.11 our food for today: Or “the food that we need” or “our food for the coming day.”
- 6.13 tempted: Or “tested.”
- 6.13 evil: Or “the evil one,” that is, the devil. Some manuscripts add, “The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.”
- 6.16 without eating: See the note at 4.2.
- 6.27 live longer: Or “grow taller.”
- 6.29 Solomon with all his wealth: The Jewish people thought that Solomon was the richest person who had ever lived.
Matteus 6
Svenska 1917
6 »Tagen eder till vara för att öva eder rättfärdighet inför människorna, för att bliva sedda av dem; annars haven I ingen lön hos eder Fader, som är i himmelen.
2 Därför, när du giver en allmosa, så låt icke stöta i basun för dig, såsom skrymtarna göra i synagogorna och på gatorna, för att de skola bliva prisade av människorna. Sannerligen säger jag eder: De hava fått ut sin lön.
3 Nej, när du giver en allmosa, låt då din vänstra hand icke få veta vad den högra gör,
4 så att din allmosa gives i det fördolda. Då skall din Fader, som ser i det fördolda, vedergälla dig.
5 Och när I bedjen, skolen I icke vara såsom skrymtarna, vilka gärna stå i synagogorna och i gathörnen och bedja, för att bliva sedda av människorna. Sannerligen säger jag eder: De hava fått ut sin lön.
6 Nej, när du vill bedja, gå då in i din kammare, och stäng igen din dörr, och bed till din Fader i det fördolda. Då skall din Fader, som ser i det fördolda, vedergälla dig.
7 Men i edra böner skolen I icke hopa tomma ord såsom hedningarna, vilka mena att de skola bliva bönhörda för sina många ords skull.
8 Så varen då icke lika dem; eder Fader vet ju vad I behöven, förrän I bedjen honom.
9 I skolen alltså bedja sålunda: 'Fader vår, som är i himmelen! Helgat varde ditt namn;
10 tillkomme ditt rike; ske din vilja, såsom i himmelen, så ock på jorden;
11 vårt dagliga bröd giv oss i dag;
12 och förlåt oss våra skulder, såsom ock vi förlåta dem oss skyldiga äro;
13 och inled oss icke i frestelse, utan fräls oss ifrån ondo.'
14 Ty om I förlåten människorna deras försyndelser, så skall ock eder himmelske Fader förlåta eder;
15 men om I icke förlåten människorna, så skall ej heller eder Fader förlåta edra försyndelser.
16 Och när I fasten, skolen I icke visa en bedrövad uppsyn såsom skrymtarna, vilka vanställa sina ansikten för att bliva sedda av människorna med sin fasta. Sannerligen säger jag eder: De hava fått ut sin lön.
17 Nej, när du fastar, smörj då ditt huvud och två ditt ansikte,
18 för att du icke må bliva sedd av människorna med din fasta, utan allenast av din Fader, som är i det fördolda. Då skall din Fader, som ser i det fördolda, vedergälla dig.
19 Samlen eder icke skatter på jorden, där mott och mal förstöra, och där tjuvar bryta sig in och stjäla,
20 utan samlen eder skatter i himmelen, där mott och mal icke förstöra, och där inga tjuvar bryta sig in och stjäla.
21 Ty där din skatt är, där kommer ock ditt hjärta att vara.
22 Ögat är kroppens lykta. Om nu ditt öga är friskt, så får hela din kropp ljus.
23 Men om ditt öga är fördärvat, då bliver hela din kropp höljd i mörker. Är det nu så, att ljuset, som du har i dig, är mörker, huru djupt bliver då icke mörkret!
24 Ingen kan tjäna två herrar; ty antingen kommer han då att hata den ene och älska den andre, eller kommer han att hålla sig till den förre och förakta den senare. I kunnen icke tjäna både Gud och Mamon.
25 Därför säger jag eder: Gören eder icke bekymmer för edert liv, vad I skolen äta eller dricka, ej heller för eder kropp, vad I skolen kläda eder med. Är icke livet mer än maten, och kroppen mer än kläderna?
26 Sen på fåglarna under himmelen: de så icke, ej heller skörda de, ej heller samla de in i lador; och likväl föder eder himmelske Fader dem. Ären I icke mycket mer än de?
27 Vilken av eder kan, med allt sitt bekymmer, lägga en enda aln till sin livslängd?
28 Och varför bekymren I eder för kläder? Beskåden liljorna på marken, huru de växa: de arbeta icke, ej heller spinna de;
29 och likväl säger jag eder att icke ens Salomo i all sin härlighet var så klädd som en av dem.
30 Kläder nu Gud så gräset på marken, vilket i dag står och i morgon kastas i ugnen, skulle han då icke mycket mer kläda eder, I klentrogne?
31 Så gören eder nu icke bekymmer, och sägen icke: 'Vad skola vi äta?' eller: 'Vad skola vi dricka?' eller: 'Vad skola vi kläda oss med?'
32 Efter allt detta söka ju hedningarna, och eder himmelske Fader vet att I behöven allt detta.
33 Nej, söken först efter hans rike och hans rättfärdighet, så skall också allt detta andra tillfalla eder.
34 Gören eder alltså icke bekymmer för morgondagen, ty morgondagen skall själv bära sitt bekymmer. Var dag har nog av sin egen plåga.»
Matthew 6
King James Version
6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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