1 T ake heed not to do your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens.

“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 W hen therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

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 thou, when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does;

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

4 s o that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will render to thee.

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

5 A nd when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets so that they should appear to men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

“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 thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will render to thee.

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 B ut when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as those who are of the nations: for they think they shall be heard through 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 B e not ye therefore like them, for your Father knows of what things ye have need before ye beg of him.

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

9 T hus therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in the heavens, let thy name be sanctified,

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

10 l et thy kingdom come, let thy will be done as in heaven so upon the earth;

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

11 g ive us to-day our needed bread,

Give us the bread we need today.

12 a nd forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors,

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

13 a nd lead us not into temptation, but save us from evil.

‘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 ye forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father also will forgive you,

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

15 b ut if ye do not forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

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 when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, downcast in countenance; for they disfigure their faces, so that they may appear fasting to men: verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

“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 thou, fasting, anoint thy head and wash thy face,

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

18 s o that thou mayest not appear fasting unto men, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who sees in secret shall render to thee.

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

19 L ay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust spoils, and where thieves dig 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 lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust spoils, and where thieves do not dig through nor 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 thy treasure is, there will be also thy heart.

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

22 T he lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be 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 thine eye be wicked, thy whole body will be dark. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great the 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 will love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

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 F or this cause I say unto you, Do not be careful about your life, what ye should eat and what ye should drink; nor for your body what ye should put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment?

“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 heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into granaries, and your heavenly Father nourishes them. Are ye not much more excellent 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 B ut which of you by carefulness can add to his growth one cubit?

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

28 A nd why are ye careful about clothing? Observe with attention the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin;

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

29 b ut I say unto you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as 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 clothe the herbage of the field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into oven, will he not much rather you, O 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 B e not therefore careful, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we put on?

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

32 f or all these things the nations seek after; for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

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 ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

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 B e not careful therefore for the morrow, for the morrow shall be careful about itself. Sufficient to the day its own evil.

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