Matthew 6:1–18

Giving to the Needy

6“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.^g If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

²“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.^h

Prayer

6:9–13pp—Lk 11:2–4

⁵“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standingⁱ in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,^j who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling^k like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.^{l 8}Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need^m before you ask him.

⁹“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Fatherⁿ in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

¹⁰your kingdom^o come,

your will be done,^p

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.^q

¹²And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.^r

¹³And lead us not into temptation,^as

but deliver us from the evil one.^b’^t

¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.^{u 15}But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.^v

Fasting

¹⁶“When you fast,^w do not look somber^x as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.^y