Open English Translation MAT Chapter 6

6 [ref]“Take care not to only be obeying God in front of others so they’ll think well of you, because if you do, you’ll all certainly get no reward from your father in the heavens.

2 “So when you’re giving to the poor, don’t make a big display of it like the hypocrites do in the meeting halls and in the streets so they’ll get the people’s praises. I can assure you that they’ve already received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be private, yet your father who sees everything you do will give back to you.

5 [ref]“Whenever you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray in the meeting halls and on street corners so everyone will notice them. I can assure you that they’ve already received their reward in full. 6 Instead when you pray, go into a private room and shut the door, then pray to your father who’s not visible to you. Then your father who sees everything will reward you.

7 “And when you do pray, don’t babble away like other religions who think they’ll be listened to just because of the number of their prayers. 8 There’s no need to be like them because God your father already knows your needs before you even ask him. 9 So pray like this:

‘Our father in the heavens

May we always honour your name.

10 We want your kingdom to come,

and for your plans to be fulfilled here on earth just like they are in heaven.

11 Give us everything we need today

12 and write-off what we owe you

as we also write-off what others owe us.

13 Don’t bring us to the point of being tempted

but keep us away from doing evil things.

14 [ref]“Because if you all forgive other people’s wrongs, then your heavenly father will also forgive your wrongs. 15 But if you all don’t forgive other people’s wrongs, then your father won’t forgive your wrongs either.

16 “Whenever you all are abstaining from food, don’t look miserable like the hypocrites because they intentionally try to look awful so that everyone will notice that they’re fasting. I can assure you that they’ve already received their reward in full. 17 Instead when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face 18 so that no one will realise that you’re fasting other than your father who’s not visible to you. Then your father who sees everything will reward you.

19 [ref]“Don’t amass wealth for yourselves here on earth where insects and corrosion destroy things and where it can be stolen. 20 Instead store your wealth in heaven where there’s no insects or corrosion or thieves or scammers, 21 because wherever your wealth is, your values will also be focussed there.

22 “Your eyes are the body’s lamps, so if your eyes are healthy, then your entire body will be bright. 23 But if your eyes are evil, your entire body will be dark.

24 “No one can serve two masters because he’ll either hate one and like the other one, or else will be supporting one and despising the other, so you all can’t serve both God and money.

25 “So that’s why I’m telling you not to worry about your worldly life—things like what you’ll all eat or drink, or how you look and what you’ll dress in. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Think about the birds in the sky—they don’t plant seeds or harvest crops or gather grain into barns, but it’s your heavenly father who feeds them. Aren’t each of you worth more than them? 27 Who can add an hour to their lifetime by worrying?

28 “Why would you be worrying about clothes? Look how the flowers grow in the fields—they don’t work or make fabric, 29 [ref]but I can tell you that not even King Solomon at the peak of his reign was dressed at well as the flowers. 30 So if God dresses the plants in the fields that are here today and thrown away tomorrow, won’t he care much more for you, you people with little faith.

31 “That means that you all don’t need to worry about having anything to eat or drink, or having some clothes to wear. 32 People with no trust in God are trying to obtain all those things, but your heavenly father already knows that you need these things. 33 So instead you should be striving to enter God’s kingdom and to be guiltless in his eyes, and then all these other things will just follow. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow can worry about itself—today’s problems are enough by themselves.