Matthew 6
NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION
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1

“Be careful not to do ‘good works’ in front of others.  Don’t do them to be seen by others.  If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.
 

2

“When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown.  Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by others.  What I’m about to tell you is true.  They have received their complete reward.
 

3

“When you give to the needy, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
 

4

Then your giving will be done secretly.  Your Father will reward you.  He sees what you do secretly.
 

5

“When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners.  They want to be seen by others.  What I’m about to tell you is true.  They have received their complete reward.
 

“When you pray, go into your room.  Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen.  He will reward you.  Your Father sees what is done secretly.
 

7

“When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do.  They think they will be heard because they talk a lot.
 

8

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

9

“This is how you should pray.  ” ‘Our Father in heaven,  may your name be honored.
 

10

May your kingdom come.  May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
 

11

Give us today our daily bread. 

12

Forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
 

13

Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.  Save us from the evil one.’
 

14

“Forgive people when they sin against you.  If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you.
 

15

But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
 

16

“When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy.  They make their faces very sad.  They want to show people they are fasting.  What I’m about to tell you is true.  They have received their complete reward.
 

17

“But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head.  Wash your face.
 

18

Then others will not know that you are fasting.  Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it.  He will reward you.  Your Father sees what is done secretly.
 

19

“Do not put away riches for yourselves on earth.  Moths and rust can destroy them.  Thieves can break in and steal them.
 

20

Instead, put away riches for yourselves in heaven.  There, moths and rust do not destroy them.  There, thieves do not break in and steal them.
 

21

Your heart will be where your riches are. 

22

“The eye is like a lamp for the body.  Suppose your eyes are good.  Then your whole body will be full of light.
 

23

But suppose your eyes are bad.  Then your whole body will be full of darkness.  If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!
 

24

“No one can serve two masters at the same time.  He will hate one of them and love the other.  Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other.  You can’t serve God and Money at the same time.
 

25

“I tell you, do not worry.  Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink.  And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear.  Isn’t there more to life than eating?  Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes?
 

26

“Look at the birds of the air.  They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms.  But your Father who is in heaven feeds them.  Aren’t you worth much more than they are?
 

27

“Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? 

28

“And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the wild flowers grow.  They don’t work or make clothing.
 

29

But here is what I tell you.  Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers.
 

30

“If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better?  After all, the grass is here only today.  Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire.  Your faith is so small!
 

31

“So don’t worry.  Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’  Or, ‘What will we drink?’  Or, ‘What will we wear?’
 

32

People who are ungodly run after all of those things.  Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them.
 

33

“But put God’s kingdom first.  Do what he wants you to do.  Then all of those things will also be given to you.
 

34

“So don’t worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.