ISV - Matthew - 6

6:1  Teaching about Giving Money to the Poor“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people in order to be noticed by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2  So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:3  But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

6:4  so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”Other mss. read reward you openlyTeaching about Prayer

6:5  “And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:6  But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.Other mss. read reward you openly

6:7  “When you are praying, don't say meaningless words like the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their wordiness.

6:8  Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

6:9  “Therefore, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven,may your name be kept holy.

6:10  May your kingdom come.May your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.

6:11  Give us today our daily bread,

6:12  and forgive us our sins,Or debtsas we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.Or forgiven our debtors

6:13  And never bring us into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’Other mss. read evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

6:14  For if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

6:15  But if you do not forgive people their offenses,Other mss. lack their offenses your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

6:16  Teaching about Fasting“Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!

6:17  But when you fast, put oil onOr anoint your head and wash your face,

6:18  so that your fasting will not be noticed by others but by your Father who sees in secret. And your Father who is in secret will reward you.”Other mss. read reward you openlyTeaching about Treasures

6:19  “Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

6:20  But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.

6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”The Lamp of the Body

6:22  “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

6:23  But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”God and Riches

6:24  “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”Lit. mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealthStop Worrying

6:25  “That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drinkOther mss. lack or what you will drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn't it, and the body more than clothing?

6:26  Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?

6:27  Can any of you add a single hour to your span of lifeOr add one cubit to your height by worrying?

6:28  And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn,

6:29  but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.

6:30  Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't he clothe you much better—you who have little faith?

6:31  “So don't ever worry by saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’

6:32  For it is the Gentiles who are eager for all those things. Surely your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them!

6:33  But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness,Other mss. read his kingdom and righteousness and all of these things will be provided for you as well.

6:34  So never worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”