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)

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

²⁰ On the contrary:

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(A) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(B) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(C) Then come, follow me.”

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(A) the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^(B)

³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor.^(A) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven^(B) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.^{(C) 34} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(D)

⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied^(A) the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.^(A) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,^{(B) 4} not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.^(C)