Matthew 6

1Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

1Be careful not to do your good deeds in front of people just to be noticed by them; if you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

2Whenever you give to the poor, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. I tell you the truth, they have already received their full reward.

3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

3But when you give to those in need, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

4that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

5When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I tell you the truth, they have already received their full reward.

6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

6But when you pray, go into your private room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

7When you pray, do not babble on and on like the Gentiles do. They think they will be heard because they use so many words.

8Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

8Do not be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need before you even ask him.

9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

9This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

10May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven.

11Give us this day our daily bread.

11Give us today the food we need for this day.

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

12And forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

13And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

13And do not lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

14For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins either.

16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

16When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They make their faces look miserable so people will notice they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have already received their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

17But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.

18that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

18Then no one will know you are fasting except your Father, who is in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:

19Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy them, and where thieves break in and steal.

20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

20Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.

21For where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too.

22The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

22The eye is like a lamp for the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!

23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

24No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?

25That is why I tell you not to worry about your life—what you will eat or drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Isn't life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

26Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?

26Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are?

27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?

27Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?

28And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

28And why worry about clothes? Notice how the lilies of the field grow. They don't work or make their own clothing.

29yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

29Yet I tell you that even King Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as one of these.

30But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

30If God cares so wonderfully for the wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, won't he surely care for you? Why do you have so little faith?

31Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

31So do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'

32For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

32People who don't know God run after all these things, but your heavenly Father already knows that you need them.

33But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

33But seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have its own worries. Today has enough trouble of its own.