Self-interpreting Bible

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Matthew 6

1Christ continuing his sermon giveth directions about charitable giving, 5prayer, 14forgiving our brethren, 16fasting, 19laying up treasure in heaven, 22keeping a single eye: 24and exhorteth not to be anxious about worldly things, but principally to seek God's kingdom and righteousness.

1 TAKE heed that ye do not your 1alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward 2of your Father which is in heaven.

2 Therefore awhen thou doest thine alms, 3do 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 breward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

    4 cThat thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which dseeth in secret himself shall reward thee eopenly.

    5 ¶And fwhen 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, gThey have their reward.

    6 But thou, when thou prayest, henter 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 ishall reward thee openly.

    7 But when ye pray, juse not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

    8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: kfor your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

    9 *After this manner therefore pray ye: lOur Father *which art in heaven, mHallowed be thy name.

    11 pGive us this day our daily bread.

    12 qAnd forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

    13 rAnd lead us not into temptation, but deliver us sfrom evil: tFor thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

    14 uFor if ye forgive men their *trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

    15 vBut if ye forgive not men their *trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

    • v: Ja. 2:13
    • *: trespasses-sins, transgressions.

    16 ¶Moreover wwhen 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.

    17 But thou, when thou fastest, xanoint thine head, and wash thy face;

    18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which yseeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

    19 ¶zLay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

    20 aBut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

    21 bFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

    22 cThe light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be *single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

    23 But if dthine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, ehow great is that darkness!

    24 ¶fNo 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 g*mammon.

    25 Therefore I say unto you, hTake 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?

    26 iBehold 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?

    27 jWhich of you by taking *thought can add kone cubit unto his stature?

    28 And lwhy take ye *thought for *raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

    29 And yet I say unto you, That even mSolomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

    30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, nwhich to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye oof little faith?

    31 pTherefore take no *thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

    32 q(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for ryour heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

    33 sBut seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; tand all these things shall be added unto you.

    34 uTake therefore no v*thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.