Instruction about Giving
(Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
The Lord's Prayer
(Luke 11:1-4)
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Proper Fasting
16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 13:44-46)
19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33-36)
22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22-34)
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Giving to the Needy
(Deuteronomy 15:7–11)
1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
The Lord’s Prayer
(Luke 11:1–4)
5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. 8 Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’ 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Proper Fasting
16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; 18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12:32–34)
19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33–36)
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22–31)
25 Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Giving to the Needy
(Deuteronomy 15:7–11)
1 “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts a before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer
(Luke 11:1–4)
5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 So then, this is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. b’
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
Proper Fasting
16 When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12:32–34)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust c destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33–36)
22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, d your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, e your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22–31)
25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? f
28 And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God g and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
Footnotes:
1 a BYZ and TR charitable acts or alms
13 b Or from evil ; BYZ and TR include For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
19 c Or worm ; also in verse 20
22 d Literally If your eye is sound ; see Proverbs 22:9
23 e Literally if your eye is evil ; see Proverbs 23:6 and Proverbs 28:22
27 f Or a single cubit to his height ; a cubit was approximately 18 inches or 45 centimeters.
33 g SBL, WH, and NE seek first His kingdom ; see also Luke 12:31.
Instruction about Giving
(Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
1Take heed your kindness not to do before men, to be seen by them, and if not -- reward ye have not from your Father who is in the heavens;
2whenever, therefore, thou mayest do kindness, thou mayest not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory from men; verily I say to you -- they have their reward! 3'But thou, doing kindness, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth, 4that thy kindness may be in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret Himself shall reward thee manifestly.
The Lord's Prayer
(Luke 11:1-4)
5'And when thou mayest pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, because they love in the synagogues, and in the corners of the broad places -- standing -- to pray, that they may be seen of men; verily I say to you, that they have their reward. 6But thou, when thou mayest pray, go into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.
7'And -- praying -- ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard, 8be ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;
9thus therefore pray ye: 'Our Father who art in the heavens! hallowed be Thy name.
10'Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.
11'Our appointed bread give us to-day.
12'And forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors.
13'And mayest Thou not lead us to temptation, but deliver us from the evil, because Thine is the reign, and the power, and the glory -- to the ages. Amen. 14For, if ye may forgive men their trespasses He also will forgive you -- your Father who is in the heavens; 15but if ye may not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Proper Fasting
16'And when ye may fast, be ye not as the hypocrites, of sour countenances, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men fasting; verily I say to you, that they have their reward. 17'But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, 18that thou mayest not appear to men fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father, who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.
Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 13:44-46)
19'Treasure not up to yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust disfigure, and where thieves break through and steal, 20but treasure up to yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth disfigure, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, 21for where your treasure is, there will be also your heart.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33-36)
22'The lamp of the body is the eye, if, therefore, thine eye may be perfect, all thy body shall be enlightened, 23but if thine eye may be evil, all thy body shall be dark; if, therefore, the light that is in thee is darkness -- the darkness, how great!
24'None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22-34)
25'Because of this I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, and what ye may drink, nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing? 26look to the fowls of the heaven, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father doth nourish them; are not ye much better than they? 27'And who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit? 28and about clothing why are ye anxious? consider well the lilies of the field; how do they grow? they do not labour, nor do they spin; 29and I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30'And if the herb of the field, that to-day is, and to-morrow is cast to the furnace, God doth so clothe -- not much more you, O ye of little faith? 31therefore ye may not be anxious, saying, What may we eat? or, What may we drink? or, What may we put round? 32for all these do the nations seek for, for your heavenly Father doth know that ye have need of all these; 33but seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.
34Be not therefore anxious for the morrow, for the morrow shall be anxious for its own things; sufficient for the day is the evil of it.
Matthew 6: The Favor of God Paraphrase
Giving in Secret
¹ “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness just to be seen by others. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
² So when you give to the needy, don’t announce it with trumpets like 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!
³ But when you give, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
⁴ Give in secret, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you!”
Praying in Secret
⁵ “And when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
⁷ And when you pray, don’t babble on like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
The Lord’s Prayer
⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Forgiving Others
¹⁴ “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”
Fasting in Secret
¹⁶ “When you fast, don’t look somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
¹⁸ so 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.”
Treasures in Heaven
¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The Lamp of the Body
²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Serving Two Masters
²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Do Not Worry
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Footnotes:
1.“Acts of righteousness” (Greek: δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosynē): This term refers to righteous deeds, often viewed in a broader sense of justice and virtue, encompassing actions like giving, praying, and fasting in this passage.
2.“Hypocrites” (Greek: ὑποκριταί, hypokritai): In the ancient context, the word originally referred to actors who wore masks. Jesus uses it here to describe those who perform righteous acts for public approval rather than out of genuine devotion to God.
3.“Our Father in heaven”: The prayer opens by acknowledging God’s fatherhood and His heavenly authority, emphasizing both His proximity and His sovereignty.
4.“Kingdom come”: This phrase reflects the Jewish expectation of God’s reign being established fully on earth, a longing for the messianic age. Jesus urges His followers to pray for this divine rule.
5.“Daily bread” (Greek: ἄρτον ἐπιούσιον, arton epiousion): The word translated as “daily” is rare and can also mean “necessary” or “sufficient.” It reflects both physical sustenance and spiritual provision.
6.“Treasures in heaven”: The idea of storing treasures in heaven contrasts with the temporal nature of earthly wealth. This implies living with eternal priorities in mind.
7.“Worry” (Greek: μεριμνᾶτε, merimnate): The word for “worry” also carries the sense of being overly anxious or distracted. Jesus calls for trust in God’s provision instead of being consumed by anxiety.
