New Testament in a Year

Jesus Teaches About Giving

6 “·Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them [or Be careful not to do/parade your righteous deeds] in front of people to be ·seen [noticed] by them. If you do that, you will ·have no [lose the] reward from your Father in heaven.

² “[^LSo] When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets [^Ceither figuratively (“blow their own horn”) or literally, since trumpets sometimes announced public events] in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and ·honor [admire] them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [^Cpraise from people, rather than reward from God]. ³ So when you give to the poor, don’t let ·anyone know what you are [^Lyour left hand know what your right hand is] doing. ⁴ Your giving should be done in ·secret [private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.

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].

Jesus Teaches About Worship

¹⁶ “When you fast [^Cgiving up eating for spiritual purposes], don’t put on a ·sad [gloomy; somber] face like the hypocrites. They make their faces ·look sad [disheveled; disfigured; unattractive] to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [v. 2]. ¹⁷ So when you fast [v. 16], ·comb your hair [^Lput oil on/anoint your head; ^Ctypical first century grooming] and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, ·whom you cannot see [who is hidden/in secret], will see you. Your Father sees what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.