Matthew 6

Williams(i) 1 "Take care not to do your good deeds in public, to attract the attention of people; if you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you do your deeds of charity, never blow your own horn in public, as the hypocrites are in the habit of doing in the synagogues and on the street corners, to be praised by the people. I solemnly say to you, they already have their reward. 3 But whenever you, a follower of mine, do a deed of charity, never let your own left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your deed of charity may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you. 5 "Also, whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, to attract the attention of people. I solemnly say to you, they already have their reward. 6 But whenever you, follower of mine, pray, you must go to your most private place, shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you. 7 And whenever you pray, you must not keep on repeating set phrases, as the heathen do, for they suppose that they will be heard in accordance with the length of their prayers, 8 So then you must not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 So this is the way you must pray: Our Father in heaven, Your name be revered. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread for the day. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not let us be subjected to temptation, but save us from the evil one. 14 "For if you forgive others their shortcomings your heavenly Father will forgive you, too. 15 But if you do not forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive your shortcomings either. 16 "Also whenever you fast, you must not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a gloomy countenance, to let people see them fasting. I solemnly say to you, they already have their reward. 17 But whenever you, follower of mine, fast, perfume your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen, not by men but by your Father who is unseen, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you. 19 "Stop storing up your riches on earth where moths and rust make away with them, and where thieves break in and steal them. 20 But keep on storing up your riches in heaven where moths and rust do not make away with them and where thieves do not break in and steal them. 21 For wherever your treasure is, there too your heart will be. 22 "The eye is the very lamp of the body. If then your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very source of light in you is darkness, how dense is that darkness! 24 No one can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and money. 25 So I tell you, stop worrying about your life, as to what you will have to eat or drink, or about your body, as to what you will have to wear. Is not life worth more than food and the body worth more than clothes? 26 Take a good look at the wild birds, for they do not sow or reap, or store up food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps on feeding them. Are you not worth more than they? 27 But which of you by worrying can add a single minute to his life? 28 And why should you worry about clothes? Look at the wild lilies and learn how they grow. They do not toil or spin; 29 but I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his gorgeous splendor, was ever dressed up like a single one of these. 30 Now if God so gorgeously dresses the wild grass which today is green but tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you with little faith? 31 So never worry and say, 'What are we going to have to eat? What are we going to have to drink? What are we going to have to wear?' 32 For the heathen are greedily pursuing all such things; and surely your heavenly Father well knows that you need them all. 33 But as your first duty keep on looking for His standard of doing right, and for His will, and then all these things will be yours besides. 34 So never worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries of its own. Each day has evil enough of its own."