Giving to Needy People
1“Be careful not to do good deeds in front of other people. Don’t do those deeds to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.
2“When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 3When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.
Prayer
5“When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 6When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly. 7When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. 8Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
9“This is how you should pray.
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
10May your kingdom come.
May what you want to happen be done
on earth as it is done in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12And forgive us our sins,
just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
13Keep us from sinning when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one.’
14Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16“When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces look very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 17But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. 18Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.
Gather Riches in Heaven
19“Do not gather for yourselves riches on earth. Moths and rats can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. 20Instead, gather for yourselves riches in heaven. There, moths and rats do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. 21Your heart will be where your riches are.
22“The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body will be full of light. 23But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!
24“No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.
Do Not Worry
25“I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? 27Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. 29But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these flowers. 30If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? Your faith is so small! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. 31So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. 33But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. 34So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Kuwapa Wahitaji
16:1 Mt 5:16; 23:5; Rum 12:8“Angalieni msitende wema wenu mbele ya watu ili wawaone. Kwa maana mkifanya hivyo, hamna thawabu kutoka kwa Baba yenu aliye mbinguni.
2“Hivyo mnapowapa wahitaji, msipige panda mbele yenu kama wafanyavyo wanafiki katika masinagogi na mitaani, ili wasifiwe na watu. Amin nawaambia wao wamekwisha kupokea thawabu yao. 36:3 Rum 12:8Lakini ninyi mtoapo sadaka, fanyeni kwa siri, hata mkono wako wa kushoto usijue mkono wako wa kuume unachofanya, 46:4 Mt 6:6, 18; Kol 3:23-24ili sadaka yako iwe ni siri. Ndipo Baba yako wa mbinguni, yeye aonaye sirini atakupa thawabu kwa wazi.
Kuhusu Maombi
(Luka 11:2-4)
56:5 Mk 11:25; Lk 18:10-14“Nanyi msalipo, msiwe kama wanafiki, maana wao hupenda kusali wakiwa wamesimama katika masinagogi na kando ya barabara ili waonekane na watu. Amin nawaambia, wao wamekwisha kupata thawabu yao. 66:6 1Fal 4:33Lakini wewe unaposali, ingia chumbani mwako, funga mlango na umwombe Baba yako aliye sirini. Naye Baba yako aonaye sirini atakupa thawabu yako. 76:7 Mhu 5:2; 1Fal 18:26-29Nanyi mnaposali msiseme maneno kama wafanyavyo watu wasiomjua Mungu. Kwa maana wao hudhani kwamba watasikiwa kwa sababu ya wingi wa maneno yao. 86:8 Mt 6:32Msiwe kama wao, kwa sababu Baba yenu anajua kile mnachohitaji kabla hamjamwomba.
96:9 Lk 11:2-4; Yn 17:6“Hivi basi, ndivyo iwapasavyo kuomba:
“ ‘Baba yetu uliye mbinguni,
Jina lako litukuzwe.
10Ufalme wako uje.
Mapenzi yako yafanyike
hapa duniani kama huko mbinguni.
116:11 Mit 30:8Utupatie riziki yetu
ya kila siku.
126:12 Mt 18:21-35Utusamehe deni zetu,
kama sisi nasi tulivyokwisha
kuwasamehe wadeni wetu.
136:13 Yak 1:13; Mt 5:37Usitutie majaribuni,
bali utuokoe kutoka kwa yule mwovu
[kwa kuwa Ufalme ni wako, na nguvu,
na utukufu, hata milele. Amen].’
146:14 Efe 4:32; Kol 3:13Kwa kuwa kama mkiwasamehe watu wengine wanapowakosea, Baba yenu wa mbinguni atawasamehe ninyi pia. 156:15 Mk 11:25-26; Mt 18:35Lakini msipowasamehe watu wengine makosa yao, naye Baba yenu hatawasamehe ninyi makosa yenu.
Kuhusu Kufunga
166:16 Isa 58:5-9; Zek 8:19“Mnapofunga, msiwe wenye huzuni kama wafanyavyo wanafiki. Maana wao hukunja nyuso zao ili kuwaonyesha wengine kwamba wamefunga. Amin, amin nawaambia wao wamekwisha kupata thawabu yao kamilifu. 176:17 Rut 3:3; Dan 10:3Lakini mnapofunga, jipakeni mafuta kichwani na kunawa nyuso zenu 186:18 Mt 6:4, 6ili kufunga kwenu kusionekane na watu wengine ila Baba yenu aketiye mahali pa siri; naye Baba yenu aonaye sirini atawapa thawabu yenu kwa wazi.
Akiba Ya Mbinguni
(Luka 12:33-34)
196:19 Mt 23:4; Lk 12:16-21; Yak 5:2-3“Msijiwekee hazina duniani, mahali ambapo nondo na kutu huharibu, nao wevi huvunja na kuiba. 206:20 1Tim 6:19; Mt 19:20; Lk 12:33-34; Kol 3:1-3Lakini jiwekeeni hazina mbinguni, mahali ambapo nondo na kutu haviharibu, wala wevi hawavunji na kuiba. 216:21 Lk 12:34Kwa sababu mahali hazina yako ilipo, hapo ndipo pia moyo wako utakapokuwa.
Jicho Ni Taa Ya Mwili
(Luka 11:34-36)
226:22 Lk 11:34-36“Jicho ni taa ya mwili. Kama jicho lako ni nyofu, mwili wako wote utajaa nuru. 236:23 Mt 20:15Lakini kama jicho lako ni ovu, mwili wako wote utajawa na giza. Kwa hiyo basi, kama nuru iliyomo ndani yako ni giza, hilo ni giza kuu namna gani!
Mungu Na Mali
(Luka 16:13; 12:22-31)
246:24 Lk 16:9, 13“Hakuna mtu awezaye kuwatumikia mabwana wawili. Kwa kuwa atamchukia huyu na kumpenda yule mwingine, au atashikamana sana na huyu na kumdharau yule mwingine. Hamwezi kumtumikia Mungu pamoja na Mali.6:24 Mali (au Utajiri) hapa inatoka neno Mamoni kwa Kiaramu au Mamona kwa Kiyunani.
Msiwe Na Wasiwasi
256:25 Flp 4:6; 1Pet 5:7“Kwa hiyo nawaambia, msisumbukie maisha yenu kwamba mtakula nini au mtakunywa nini; au msumbukie miili yenu kwamba mtavaa nini. Je, maisha si zaidi ya chakula, na mwili zaidi ya mavazi? 266:26 Za 104:21; 136:25; Mt 10:29-31Waangalieni ndege wa angani; wao hawapandi wala hawavuni au kuweka ghalani, lakini Baba yenu wa mbinguni huwalisha. Je, ninyi si wa thamani zaidi kuliko hao ndege? 276:27 Za 39:5Ni nani miongoni mwenu ambaye kwa kujitaabisha kwake anaweza kujiongezea hata saa moja zaidi katika maisha yake?
28“Nanyi kwa nini mnajitaabisha kwa ajili ya mavazi? Fikirini maua ya shambani yameavyo. Hayafanyi kazi wala hayafumi. 296:29 1Fal 10:4-7Lakini nawaambia, hata Solomoni katika fahari yake yote hakuvikwa vizuri kama mojawapo ya hayo maua. 306:30 Mt 16:8; Lk 12:28Basi ikiwa Mungu huyavika hivi majani ya shambani, ambayo leo yapo na kesho yanatupwa motoni, je, hatawavika ninyi vizuri zaidi, enyi wa imani haba? 31Kwa hiyo msiwe na wasiwasi, mkisema, ‘Tutakula nini?’ au ‘Tutakunywa nini?’ au ‘Tutavaa nini?’ 326:32 Mt 6:8Watu wasiomjua Mungu ndio wanaoshindania hayo, lakini Baba yenu wa mbinguni anafahamu kuwa mnahitaji haya yote. 336:33 Za 37:4, 25; Rum 14:17; Mk 10:29-30Lakini utafuteni kwanza Ufalme wa Mungu na haki yake, na haya yote atawapa pia. 34Kwa hiyo msiwe na wasiwasi kuhusu kesho, kwa sababu kesho itajitaabikia yenyewe. Yatosha kwa siku masumbufu yake.
