6“Be careful not to practice your righteousness ⁱin front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ²So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the ^•synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. ^•I assure you: They’ve got their reward! ^j³But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ^k^l

How to Pray

⁵“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! ^m⁶But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁿ^o⁷When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, ^psince they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. ^q⁸Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him. ^r

Read in Logos

Matthew 6:6: But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Footnotes

i6:1 Other read charitable giving
•This is a place where the Jewish people met for prayer, worship, and teaching of the Scriptures.
•This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk, and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you; in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.
k6:4 Other read will Himself reward you openly
n6:6 Other add openly
p6:7 Or Gentiles, or nations, or heathen, or pagans

Cross references

j6:1–2 Mt 23:5; Lk 6:24
l6:4 Jr 17:10; Lk 14:14; Col 3:23–24; Heb 4:13
m6:5 Mt 6:16; Mk 11:25; Lk 6:24; 18:11
o6:6 2Kg 4:33; Is 26:20; Mt 6:18
q6:7 1Kg 18:26; Ec 5:2
r6:8 Mt 9:12; Mk 2:17; Lk 5:31; 9:11; 10:42; Ac 2:45