# Matthew 6.1-21

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-26 | updated: 2026-06-26 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> **"1. <span class="rl-speech">Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.</span> 2. <span class="rl-speech">When therefore thou doest alms, sound not 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 received their reward.</span> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.</span> 8. <span class="rl-speech">Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.</span> 9. <span class="rl-speech">After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.</span> 11. <span class="rl-speech">Give us this day our daily bread.</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.</span> 13. <span class="rl-speech">And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:</span> 21. <span class="rl-speech">for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.</span>"**
>
> "22. The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall 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 the darkness!" (Matthew 6:1-23, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> **"1. <span class="rl-speech">“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.</span> 2. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.</span> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.</span> 8. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.</span> 9. <span class="rl-speech">Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.</span> 11. <span class="rl-speech">Give us today our daily bread.</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.</span> 13. <span class="rl-speech">Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;</span> 21. <span class="rl-speech">for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.</span>"**
>
> "22. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:1-23, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> **"1. <span class="rl-speech">Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. <sup>alms: or, righteousness</sup> <sup>of your: or, with your</sup></span> 2. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore when thou doest 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. <sup>do not: or, cause not a trumpet to be sounded</sup></span> 3. <span class="rl-speech">But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">And when 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, They have their reward.</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">But thou, when thou prayest, enter 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 shall reward thee openly.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.</span> 8. <span class="rl-speech">Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.</span> 9. <span class="rl-speech">After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.</span> 11. <span class="rl-speech">Give us this day our daily bread.</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.</span> 13. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:</span> 21. <span class="rl-speech">For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.</span>"**
>
> "22. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall 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!" (Matthew 6:1-23, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> **"1. <span class="rl-speech">'Take heed your kindness not to do before men, to be seen by them, and if not, reward ye have not from your Father who [is] in the heavens;</span> 2. <span class="rl-speech">whenever, therefore, thou mayest do kindness, thou mayest not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory from men; verily I say to you, they have their reward!</span> 3. <span class="rl-speech">'But thou, doing kindness, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth,</span> 4. <span class="rl-speech">that thy kindness may be in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret Himself shall reward thee manifestly.</span> 5. <span class="rl-speech">'And when thou mayest pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, because they love in the synagogues, and in the corners of the broad places, standing, to pray, that they may be seen of men; verily I say to you, that they have their reward.</span> 6. <span class="rl-speech">'But thou, when thou mayest pray, go into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who [is] in secret, and thy Father who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">'And, praying, ye may not use vain repetitions like the nations, for they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard,</span> 8. <span class="rl-speech">be ye not therefore like to them, for your Father doth know those things that ye have need of before your asking him;</span> 9. <span class="rl-speech">thus therefore pray ye: 'Our Father who [art] in the heavens! hallowed be Thy name.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">'Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.</span> 11. <span class="rl-speech">'Our appointed bread give us to-day.</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">'And forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors.</span> 13. <span class="rl-speech">'And mayest Thou not lead us to temptation, but deliver us from the evil, because Thine is the reign, and the power, and the glory, to the ages. Amen.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">'For, if ye may forgive men their trespasses He also will forgive you, your Father who [is] in the heavens;</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">but if ye may not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">'And when ye may fast, be ye not as the hypocrites, of sour countenances, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men fasting; verily I say to you, that they have their reward.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">'But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face,</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">that thou mayest not appear to men fasting, but to thy Father who [is] in secret, and thy Father, who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">'Treasure not up to yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust disfigure, and where thieves break through and steal,</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">but treasure up to yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth disfigure, and where thieves do not break through nor steal,</span> 21. <span class="rl-speech">for where your treasure is, there will be also your heart.</span>"**
>
> "22. 'The lamp of the body is the eye, if, therefore, thine eye may be perfect, all thy body shall be enlightened, 23. but if thine eye may be evil, all thy body shall be dark; if, therefore, the light that [is] in thee is darkness, the darkness, how great!" (Matthew 6:1-23, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_


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## Quoted in

- [Argument from Sanctity](/codex/argument-from-sanctity/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.