Matthew 6
English Standard Version
Giving to the Needy
6 “Beware of (A)practicing your righteousness before other people in order (B)to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 (C)“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may (D)be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have (E)received their reward. 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. (F)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love (G)to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. (H)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, (I)go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. (J)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as (K)the Gentiles do, for (L)they think that they will be heard (M)for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, (N)for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 (O)Pray then like this:
(P)“Our Father in heaven,
(Q)hallowed be (R)your name.[a]
10 (S)Your kingdom come,
(T)your will be done,[b]
(U)on earth as it is in heaven.
11 (V)Give us (W)this day our daily bread,[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And (X)lead us not into temptation,
but (Y)deliver us from (Z)evil.[d]
14 (AA)For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 (AB)but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16 “And (AC)when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. (AD)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, (AE)anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. (AF)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 (AG)“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where (AH)moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves (AI)break in and steal, 20 (AJ)but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 (AK)“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 (AL)but if (AM)your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 (AN)“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and (AO)money.[f]
Do Not Be Anxious
25 (AP)“Therefore I tell you, (AQ)do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 (AR)Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. (AS)Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his (AT)span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, (AU)even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, (AV)O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For (AW)the Gentiles seek after all these things, and (AX)your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But (AY)seek first (AZ)the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (BA)and all these things will be added to you.
34 (BB)“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Notas al pie
- Matthew 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence
- Matthew 6:10 Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done
- Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
- Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen
- Matthew 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20
- Matthew 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions
- Matthew 6:27 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
Matthew 6
New Living Translation
Teaching about Giving to the Needy
6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b]
but rescue us from the evil one.[c]
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[d] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Teaching about Money and Possessions
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Notas al pie
- 6:11 Or Give us today our food for the day; or Give us today our food for tomorrow.
- 6:13a Or And keep us from being tested.
- 6:13b Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- 6:17 Greek anoint your head.
- 6:33 Some manuscripts do not include of God.
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.
Notas al pie
- 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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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