Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 "Take heed that ye do not your almsgiving before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.
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"Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.
2 Therefore when thou givest 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.
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So when you give to the poor, don't announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.
3 But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,
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When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4 that thine almsgiving may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly.
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Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
5 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
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"When you pray, don't be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
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When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
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"When you pray, don't ramble like heathens who think they'll be heard if they talk a lot.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him.
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Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 In this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
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"This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy.
10 Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
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Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
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Give us our daily bread today.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
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Forgive us as we forgive others.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.
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Don't allow us to be tempted. Instead, rescue us from the evil one.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
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"If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures.
16 "Moreover 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.
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"When you fast, stop looking sad like hypocrites. They put on sad faces to make it obvious that they're fasting. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face,
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When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair.
18 that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
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Then your fasting won't be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;
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"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
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Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don't destroy and thieves don't break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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Your heart will be where your treasure is.
22 "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
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"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But 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!
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But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!
24 "No 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.
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"No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.
25 "Therefore 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?
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"So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothes?
26 Behold 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?
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"Look at the birds. They don't plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?
27 "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
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"Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin,
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"And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes.
29 and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
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But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers.
30 Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
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That's the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it's alive, and tomorrow it's thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `Wherewith shall we be clothed?'
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"Don't ever worry and say, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?'
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
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Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.
33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
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But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.
34 "Take 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.
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"So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.