Matthew 6

1 “Be careful [watch out, take heed] not to perform your righteous acts [good deeds, charitable giving] before men [human beings, people] to be seen [looked at, noticed] by them. If you do [practice your righteousness in this way], you will have no [none, zero] reward [wage, payment] from your Father [the heavenly Father, God] in [dwelling in, present in] heaven [the spiritual realm, the sky]. word study 2 So when [at any time, whenever] you give [provide, donate] to the needy [poor, destitute], do not sound [blow, trumpet] a trumpet [to announce, proclaim] before you, as the hypocrites [pretenders, insincere ones] do in the synagogues [gatherings, assemblies] and on the streets [public roads, lanes], to be honored [praised, glorified] by men [human beings, people]. Truly [verily, assuredly] I tell you, they already have [received, obtained] their full [complete, total] reward [wage, recompense]. word study 3 But when you [as an act of worship] give [do alms, show charity] to the needy [those in poverty, the poor], do not let your left hand [the part of you that is unseen] know [be aware of, recognize] what your right hand [the part of you that is visible, doing good deeds] is doing [performing, accomplishing], word study 4 so that your giving [charity, almsgiving] may be in secret [hidden, concealed]. And your Father [the heavenly Parent], who sees [perceives, looks at] what is done in secret [the hidden things], will reward [repay, recompense] you. word study 5 And when you pray [make your requests to God, worship Him], do not be like the hypocrites [those who pretend to be something they are not, insincere]. For they love [have a strong affection for] to pray [worship, make their requests to God] standing [in an upright position, openly] in the synagogues [gatherings, assemblies of people] and on the street corners [public areas, wide streets] to be seen [appear, be visible] by men [human beings, people]. Truly [most certainly, I assure you] I tell you, they already have [possess, received in full] their full reward [payment, wages for their actions]. word study 6 But when you [as a believer, in a personal relationship] pray, go into your [private] inner room [chamber, secret place], shut your door [and be alone with God], and pray to your Father [in heaven, who sees and knows all], who is [present, yet] unseen [in secret, hidden from human eyes]. And your Father [who loves and cares for you], who sees [observes, knows] what is done [happens, takes place] in secret [private, hidden], will reward [repay, recompense] you [openly, in due time]. word study 7 And when you pray [to God, worship Him], do not babble on [repeat empty words, use vain repetitions] like pagans [Gentiles, non-Jewish people], for they think [suppose, have an opinion] that by their many words [wordiness, much speaking] they will be heard [listen to, obey]. word study 8 Do not [in no way] be like them, for your Father [the heavenly Parent, Creator] knows [is fully aware, perceives] what you need [have necessity, require] before [prior to, preceding] you ask [request, petition] Him. word study 9 So then [therefore, in this way], this is how you should pray: ‘Our [heavenly, divine] Father [the ultimate Authority] in heaven [the spiritual realm], hallowed [sanctified, revered] be Your [possessive, belonging to You] name [character, reputation]. word study 10 Your [to you personally] kingdom [royal power and dominion] come [arrive, be established], Your [to you personally] will [desire, intention] be done [fulfilled, accomplished], on [upon, over] earth [the land, the material world] as [just like, in the same way] it is [exists, is being done] in [within, among] heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place]. word study 11 Give [provide for our needs] us this day [today, at this present time] our [that which belongs to us] daily [referring to something that happens every day] bread [food for our needs, sustenance]. word study 12 And forgive [make us free of, release] us our debts [sins, things owed to God], as we also [just as, when] have forgiven [released, left] our debtors [those who have sinned against us, those in debt to us]. word study 13 And lead us not [into trials or testing] into temptation [a difficult situation that challenges our faith], but deliver us [rescue, set us free] from the evil one [the devil, Satan, the tempter] [the ruler of darkness and sin]. ’ word study 14 For if you [completely, unconditionally] forgive men [human beings, those who sin against you] their trespasses [sins, mistakes, offenses], your heavenly [from or in heaven, divine] Father [the male parent, God] will also forgive you [release your sins, let them go]. word study 15 But if you do not [totally, completely] forgive men [human beings, people] their trespasses [sins, offenses, wrongdoings], neither will your Father [in heaven, the supreme Parent] forgive [pardon, release from guilt] yours [your sins, your debts]. word study 16 When you fast [abstain from food, go without eating], do not be somber [sad, of a sour countenance] like the hypocrites [those who pretend to be something they are not], for they disfigure [make unsightly, distort] their faces [countenances, appearances] to show men [people, humans] they are fasting [abstaining from food for spiritual purposes]. Truly [verily, in truth] I tell you, they already have their full reward [payment, recompense]. word study 17 But when you [as an individual, personally] fast [abstain from food, go without eating], anoint [put oil on, show respect to] your head [the upper part of the body, the source of thoughts] and wash [cleanse, purify] your face [the countenance, the presence], word study 18 so that your fasting [abstaining from food, going without nourishment] will not be obvious [evident, apparent] to men, but only to your Father [the heavenly Parent, divine Creator], who is unseen [hidden, invisible]. And your Father, who sees [perceives, observes] what is done in secret [hidden, concealed], will reward [repay, recompense] you. word study 19 Do not [lay up for yourselves, store away] store up for yourselves treasures [riches, wealth, material goods] on earth [the physical world, soil], where moth [an insect that eats away, decay] and rust [corrosion, deterioration] destroy [consume, disfigure], and where thieves [those who steal, rob] break in [force their way, dig through] and steal [take away, pilfer]. word study 20 But store up [lay up, treasure] for yourselves treasures [riches, wealth] in heaven [the sky, God’s home], where moth [an insect that eats away] and rust [corrosion, decay] do not destroy [corrupt, consume], and where thieves [those who steal, rob] do not break in [dig through, force their way] and steal [take without permission, plunder]. word study 21 For [as a reason, explaining] where [in what location] your [belonging to you] treasure [wealth, riches] is, there [in that place] your heart [seat of thoughts and emotions] will be [exist] also [too]. word study 22 The eye [lamp of the body, spiritual guide] is the lamp [light source, symbol of spiritual guidance] of the body [physical person, whole being]. If your eyes [vision, sight, spiritual perception] are good [single, sound, healthy], your whole body [entire person, complete being] will be full of light [enlightened, shining, radiant with God’s presence]. word study 23 But if your eyes [the windows of your soul, means of spiritual sight] are bad [evil, wicked, morally corrupt], your whole body [your entire being, physical and spiritual] will be full of darkness [lacking spiritual light, devoid of understanding]. If then [in that case, as a consequence] the light [spiritual illumination, divine guidance] within you [in your heart, mind, and spirit] is darkness [absence of spiritual light, ignorance], how great [intense, profound] is that darkness [separation from God, spiritual blindness]! word study 24 No one [none, nobody] can serve two [a pair of] masters: Either he will hate [detest or love less] the one and love [show esteem and goodwill] the other, or he will be devoted [cling to] to the one and despise [think little of] the other. You cannot serve both God [the one true deity] and money [wealth or riches, idolization of material goods]. word study 25 Therefore I tell you, do not [be anxious or troubled] worry about your life [your soul, the essence of who you are], what you will eat [consume as nourishment] or drink [to satisfy your thirst]; or about your body [your physical form], what you will wear [clothe yourself with]. Is not life [the breath of life, your existence] more than food [sustenance, nourishment], and the body [your physical being] more than clothes [outer garments, covering]? word study 26 Look at the birds [of heaven, the creatures of the air] of the air: They do not sow [or plant seeds] or reap [or harvest crops] or gather into barns [storehouses, granaries]—and yet your heavenly [from above, divine] Father [the ultimate Provider, Creator] feeds [nourishes, cares for] them. Are you not much more valuable [precious, of greater worth] than they [these creatures, birds]? word study 27 Who of you [which one, anyone] by worrying [being anxious, taking thought] can add [increase, give more] a single hour [one cubit, a moment] to his life [age, stature, lifespan]? word study 28 And why do you worry [be anxious, take thought] about clothes [raiment, garments]? Consider [think about, reflect on] how the lilies [beautiful flowers] of the field [countryside, agricultural land] grow [increase, flourish]: They do not labor [toil, work hard] or spin [make thread, weave]. word study 29 Yet I tell [say, speak, proclaim] you that not even Solomon [the son of King David] in all [every, the entirety of] his glory [honor, praise, divine splendor] was adorned [clothed, arrayed, dressed] like [as, similar to] one [a single, unique] of these [these flowers, creations]. word study 30 If that is how God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] clothes [provides and adorns] the grass [herbage] of the field [a place for pasture], which is here today [in the present time] and tomorrow [the next day] is thrown [cast with force] into the furnace [an oven], will He not much more [to a greater extent] clothe [enrobe and provide for] you, O you of little faith [having a small amount of trust]? word study 31 Therefore [then, as a consequence] do not [not at all] worry [be anxious, have cares], saying, ‘What [which thing] shall we eat [take in as nourishment]?’ or [as an alternative] ‘What [which thing] shall we drink [swallow as a liquid]?’ or [as another option] ‘What [which thing] shall we wear [be clothed with]?’ word study 32 For the Gentiles [non-Jewish people, nations] strive after [seek, search for] all these things [every necessity, all needs], and your heavenly [from above, divine] Father [the supreme Parent, divine Caregiver] knows [is aware, perceives] that you need [have necessity of, require] them. word study 33 But seek [pursue, strive for] first [before all else, with utmost priority] the kingdom [reign, dominion] of God [the Almighty, Creator] and His righteousness [right living, justice], and all [every, everything] these things [needs, provisions] will be added [given, provided] unto you [to your life, for your benefit]. word study 34 Therefore [as a consequence of this truth] do not worry [be anxious or troubled] about tomorrow [the next day, the future], for tomorrow [the next day] will worry [be anxious, take care] about itself [its own things, its own troubles]. Today [this present day, the current time] has enough [sufficient, a satisfactory amount] trouble [evil, moral depravity, wickedness] of its own [its own unique challenges, its own set of problems]. word study