1 T ake care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward '> reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.

“Be sure you do not do good things in front of others just to be seen by them. If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 T hus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.

When you give to the poor, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They blow a horn in the places of worship and in the streets so people may respect them. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

3 B ut when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand gives.

4 S o that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Your giving should be in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus Teaches about Prayer

5 A lso when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.

“When you pray, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They love to stand and pray in the places of worship or in the streets so people can see them. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

6 B ut when you pray, go into your private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.

When you pray, go into a room by yourself. After you have shut the door, pray to your Father Who is in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you.

7 A nd when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.

When you pray, do not say the same thing over and over again making long prayers like the people who do not know God. They think they are heard because their prayers are long.

8 D o not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 P ray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.

“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy.

10 Y our kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

May Your holy nation come. What You want done, may it be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 G ive us this day our daily bread.

Give us the bread we need today.

12 A nd forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven ( left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

13 A nd lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

‘Do not let us be tempted, but keep us from sin. Your nation is holy. You have power and shining-greatness forever. Let it be so.’ Jesus Teaches about Forgiveness

14 F or if you forgive people their trespasses '> reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

“If you forgive people their sins, your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also.

15 B ut if you do not forgive others their trespasses '> reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

If you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Jesus Teaches about Not Eating So You Can Pray Better

16 A nd whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already.

“When you go without food so you can pray better, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They make themselves look sad so people will see they are going with out food. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

17 B ut when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face,

When you go without food so you can pray better, put oil on your head and wash your face.

18 S o that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.

Then nobody knows you are going without food. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus Teaches about Having Riches

19 D o not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.

“Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them.

20 B ut gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them.

21 F or where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also.

22 T he eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.

The eye is the light of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 B ut if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you '> conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!

If your eye is bad, your whole body will be dark. If the light in you is dark, how dark it will be!

24 N o one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ( deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).

No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or he will listen to the one and work against the other. You cannot have both God and riches as your boss at the same time. Jesus Teaches about Cares of Life

25 T herefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater than food, and the body than clothing?

“I tell you this: Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about what you are going to eat and drink. Do not worry about what you are going to wear. Is not life more important than food? Is not the body more important than clothes?

26 L ook at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds?

27 A nd who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?

Which of you can make himself a little taller by worrying?

28 A nd why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

Why should you worry about clothes? Think how the flowers grow. They do not work or make cloth.

29 Y et I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.

But I tell you that Solomon in all his greatness was not dressed as well as one of these flowers.

30 B ut if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

God clothes the grass of the field. It lives today and is burned in the stove tomorrow. How much more will He give you clothes? You have so little faith!

31 T herefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’

32 F or the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things.

33 B ut seek ( aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ( His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

First of all, look for the holy nation of God. Be right with Him. All these other things will be given to you also.

34 S o do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own worries. The troubles we have in a day are enough for one day.