1 “ Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with 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 “ So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

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 the poor, 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 giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

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

5 “ When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

“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 you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

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 “ And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

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 S o do 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 “ Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

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

10 ‘ Your 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 ‘ Give us this day our daily bread.

Give us the bread we need today.

12 ‘ And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

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

13 ‘ And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver 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 you forgive others for their transgressions, 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, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

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 “ Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

“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 you, when you fast, anoint 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 will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

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

19 “ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in 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 store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or 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 your heart will be also.

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

22 “ The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole 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 bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is 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 “ No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. The Cure for Anxiety

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 “ For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more 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, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds 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 being worried can add a single hour to his life?

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

28 A nd why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

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

29 y et I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself 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 is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? 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 D o not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’

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 eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need 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 first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to 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 “ So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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