| But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. | But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. |
| Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. | All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one. |
| But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. | But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. |
| You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. | Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. |
| Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. | Therefore, whenever you give alms, do not trumpet your generosity, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. |
| But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. | But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Your almsgiving must be done in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you. |
| But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. | But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you. |
| And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. | When you pray do not go on babbling endlessly as the pagans do, for they believe that they are more likely to be heard because of their many words. |
| Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” | This is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ |
| Give us this day our daily bread. | Give us this day our daily bread. |
| And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. | And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. |
| And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. |
| For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. | If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. |
| But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. | But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. |
| And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. | Whenever you fast, do not assume a gloomy expression like the hypocrites who contort their faces so that others may realize that they are fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. |
| But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. | But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that the fact that you are fasting will not be obvious to others but only to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you. |
| Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. | Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. |
| For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. | For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be. |
| No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money. | No one can serve two masters. For you will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. |
| Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? | Therefore, heed my words. Do not be concerned about your life and what you will have to eat or drink, or about your body and what you will wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. |
| Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? | Gaze upon the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of far greater value than they? |
| But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. | Rather, seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. |
| Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. | So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own. |
| Judge not, that you be not judged. | Do not judge, so that you in turn may not be judged. |
| Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? | Why do you take note of the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not notice the wooden plank in your own eye? |
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