Matthew 6; Psalm 4-6 (New International Version)

Page Options

Add parallel

Matthew 6

New International Version (NIV)

Giving to the Needy

6 "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others 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 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.

Prayer

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 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, 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 like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹"This, then, is how you should pray:

"’Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

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

Fasting

¹⁶"When you fast, do not look somber 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.

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] 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 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? ²⁶Look 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? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If 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? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes:

Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

Show Commentary

New International Version (NIV)

Matthew 6 X

BackX

Add parallel

Show resources

Psalm 4-6

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 4^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

²How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods^[b]?^[c]
³Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴Tremble and^[d] do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
⁵Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.

⁶Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?"
Let the light of your face shine on us.
⁷Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 5^[e]

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

¹Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
²Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

³In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
⁴For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
⁵The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
⁶ you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
⁷But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.

⁸Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies−
make your way straight before me.
⁹Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
¹⁰Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

¹²Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6^[f]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.^[g] A psalm of David.

¹Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
²Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?

⁴Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.
⁵Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?

⁶I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
⁷My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.

⁸Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.