Matthew 6:5-15

Expanded Bible

Jesus Teaches About Prayer^(A)

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will ·see [notice] them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. ⁶ When you pray, you should go into your [private; inner] room and close the door and pray to your Father ·who cannot be seen [or who is in that secret place; or secretly; in private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [^Lthey will be heard; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words. ⁸ Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. ⁹ So when you pray, you should pray like this:

¹⁴ ·Yes, [For] if you forgive others for their ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses], your Father in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your ·sins [transgressions; failings; trespasses].