Matthew 6
1 “When you do your good deeds, make certain that you do not do them when other people are watching so that they may see you [and think highly of you]. If [you do good deeds merely in order that other people may think highly of you, God], your Father who is in heaven, will not give you any reward.
Takith hede, that ye do not youre riytwisnesse bifor men, to be seyn of hem, ellis ye schulen haue no meede at youre fadir that is in heuenes.
2 So, whenever you give something to the poor, do not [announce it as people announce something that they want other people to know about] by playing a [fanfare] on a trumpet [MET]. That is what the hypocrites do (in the synagogues/in the Jewish meeting places) and on the main roads in order that people might [see what they do and] praise them. Keep this in mind: [People praise those hypocrites], [but] that is the [only] reward they will receive!
Therfore whanne thou doist almes, nyle thou trumpe tofore thee, as ypocritis doon in synagogis and stretis, that thei be worschipid of men; sotheli Y seie to you, they han resseyued her meede.
3 Instead [of doing as they do], when you give something to the poor, do not let other people know that you are doing that [MET].
But whanne thou doist almes, knowe not thi left hond what thi riyt hond doith, that thin almes be in hidils,
4 In that way, you will be giving to the poor secretly. [As a result God], your Father who observes [you] while no one else sees [you], will reward you.
and thi fadir that seeth in hiddils, schal quyte thee.
5 Also when you pray, do not do what the hypocrites do. They like to stand in the Jewish meeting places and on the corners of the main streets to pray, in order that other people will see them [and think highly of them]. Keep this in mind: [People praise them, but] that is the [only] reward they will get.
And whanne ye preyen, ye schulen not be as ipocritis, that louen to preye stondynge in synagogis and corneris of stretis, to be seyn of men; treuli Y seie to you, thei han resseyued her meede.
6 But as for you, when you pray, go into your private room and close the door in order to pray to [God], your Father, whom no one can see. He observes you where no one else observes you, and he will reward you.
But whanne thou schalt preye, entre in to thi couche, and whanne the dore is schet, preye thi fadir in hidils, and thi fadir that seeth in hidils, schal yelde to thee.
7 When you pray, do not repeat words many times as the people who do not know God do [when they pray. They repeat meaningless words] because they think that if they use many words, their gods will listen to them and give them [what they ask for].
But in preiyng nyle yee speke myche, as hethene men doon, for thei gessen that thei ben herd in her myche speche.
8 Do not [repeat words] as they do, because [God] your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Therfor nyle ye be maad lich to hem, for your fadir woot what is nede to you, bifore that ye axen hym.
9 So pray [things] like this: Father, [you who are] in heaven, we [(exc)] desire that you be honored/revered {that people honor/revere you}.
And thus ye schulen preye, Oure fadir that art in heuenes, halewid be thi name;
10 We [(exc)] desire that people let you rule [over their lives]. We(exc) want [people who live] on the earth to do what you desire, as those who live in heaven [do what you want them to do].
thi kyngdoom come to; be thi wille don `in erthe as in heuene;
11 Give us [(exc)] each day the food [SYN] that we [(exc) need for] that day.
yyue to vs this dai oure `breed ouer othir substaunce;
12 Forgive our sins just like we [(exc)] have forgiven the people who sin against us [(exc)].
and foryyue to vs oure dettis, as we foryyuen to oure dettouris;
13 Do not let us(exc) do wrong things when we(exc) are tempted {someone or something tempts us}, and rescue us [(exc)] when Satan the evil one tempts us to do evil things.”
and lede vs not in to temptacioun, but delyuere vs fro yuel. Amen.
14 “[Forgive the people who sin against you], because, if you forgive other people, [God], your Father who is in heaven, will forgive your [sins].
For if ye foryyuen to men her synnes, youre heuenli fadir schal foryyue to you youre trespassis.
15 But if you do not forgive other people, neither will God forgive your sins.”
Sotheli if ye foryyuen not to men, nether youre fadir schal foryyue to you youre synnes.
16 “When you abstain from eating food [in order to please God], do not look sad as the hypocrites look. They make their faces appear sad in order that people will see that they are abstaining from food [and will think highly of them]. Keep this in mind: [People will think highly of those people for that], but [that is the only] reward those people will get!
But whanne ye fasten, nyle ye be maad as ypocritis sorewful, for thei defacen hem silf, to seme fastyng to men; treuli Y seie to you, they han resseyued her meede.
17 Instead, [each of] you, when you abstain from food, should comb your hair and wash your face [as usual],
But whanne thou fastist, anoynte thin heed, and waische thi face,
18 in order that other people will not notice that you are fasting [because you will look as you always do]. But [God], your Father, whom no one can see, [will observe that you are abstaining from food. God] your Father sees [you] even though no one else sees [you], and he will reward you.”
that thou be not seen fastynge to men, but to thi fadir that is in hidlis, and thi fadir that seeth in priuey, shal yelde to thee.
19 “Do not [selfishly] accumulate large quantities of money and material goods for yourselves on [this] earth, because [the earth is where everything is destroyed. For example], on earth termites ruin things, and things rust, and thieves enter [buildings] and steal things.
Nile ye tresoure to you tresouris in erthe, where ruste and mouyte destrieth, and where theues deluen out and stelen;
20 Instead, do [deeds that will please God. Your doing such deeds will be like] storing treasures in heaven [MET]. [Nothing perishes in heaven]. In heaven no termites ruin [things], nothing rusts, and thieves do not enter buildings and steal.
but gadere to you tresouris in heuene, where nether ruste ne mouyte distrieth, and where theues deluen not out, ne stelen.
21 [Remember that] the things [that you think are the most] valuable are [the things that] you will be constantly concerned about [MET]. [So if you want to be storing treasures in heaven], you [need to be] constantly thinking [about God and heaven], [instead of your earthly possessions].”
For where thi tresoure is, there also thin herte is.
22 “Your eyes are [like] a lamp [MET] for your body, because they enable you to see things. So if your eyes are healthy, you are able to see everything well [MET]. [Similarly, if you are generous with your money and other possessions, you will be able to know much of what God wants you to know] [MET].
The lanterne of thi bodi is thin iye; if thin iye be symple, al thi bodi shal be liytful;
23 But if your eyes are bad, you are not able to see things well. And if that continues, the time will come when you will not be able to see at all. You will be in complete darkness [MET]. [Similarly, if you continue to be greedy, you will be in spiritual darkness. If all that your eyes can see and your mind can think about involves your greedily desiring material possessions, all that you do will be evil] [MET].”
but if thin iye be weiward, al thi bodi shal be derk. If thanne the liyt that is in thee be derknessis, how grete schulen thilk derknessis be?
24 “No one is able to serve two [different] bosses [at the same time]. If [he tried to do that], he would dislike one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one [DOU]. [Similarly], you cannot [devote your life to] worshipping God and [worshipping] money and material goods [at the same time].”
No man may serue tweyn lordis, for ethir he schal hate `the toon, and loue the tother; ethir he shal susteyne `the toon, and dispise the tothir. Ye moun not serue God and richessis.
25 “Because [you should be concerned about what God thinks is important and not about material goods, I] tell you that you should not worry about [things that you need in order to] live. [Do not worry] about whether you will have [enough food] to eat, and [something] to drink, or [enough] clothes to wear. It is important to have [sufficient] food [and drink] and clothing, but the way you conduct your lives is much more important [RHQ].
Therfor I seie to you, that ye be not bisi to youre lijf, what ye schulen ete; nether to youre bodi, with what ye schulen be clothid. Whether lijf is not more than meete, and the bodie more than cloth?
26 Look at the birds. They do not plant [seeds, and they do not] harvest [crops] and gather them into barns. [But they always have food to eat because God], your Father who is in heaven, provides food for them. And you are certainly worth a lot more than birds [RHQ]! [So you can be assured that God will supply what you need!]
Biholde ye the foulis of the eire, for thei sowen not, nethir repen, nethir gaderen in to bernes; and youre fadir of heuene fedith hem. Whether ye ben not more worthi than thei?
27 (None of you can, just by worrying, [add time to your life]./Can any of you, just by worrying, [add time to your life]?) [RHQ] [You cannot] add [even] one minute to your life! [So you should not worry about things such as food and clothing!]
But who of you thenkynge mai putte to his stature o cubit?
28 You should also not worry about [whether you will have enough] clothes [to wear] [RHQ]. Think about the way flowers [grow] in the fields. They do not work [to earn money], and they do not make their own clothes.
And of clothing what ben ye bisye? Biholde ye the lilies of the feeld, how thei wexen. Thei trauelen not, nether spynnen;
29 But I tell you that even though [King] Solomon, who [lived long ago], [wore very beautiful clothes], his clothes were not as beautiful as one of those [flowers].
and Y seie to you, Salomon in al his glorie was not keuered as oon of these.
30 God makes the wild plants very beautiful, [but they grow] in the field [for only a short time]. One day they grow, and the next day they are thrown into an oven {someone [cuts them and] throws them into an oven} [to be burned to make heat for baking bread. But you are more important to God than wild plants are, and you live much longer]. So (God will certainly provide clothes for you who [live a long time but] trust him so little!/will not God surely very adequately clothe you, [who live a long time but] trust him so little?) [RHQ]
And if God clothith thus the hei of the feeld, that to day is, and to morewe is cast in to an ouen, hou myche more you of litel feith?
31 Because of God’s caring for you, do not worry and say, ‘Will we have anything to eat?’ or ‘Will we have anything to drink?’ or ‘Will we have clothes to wear?’ [RHQ]
Therfor nyle ye be bisi, seiynge, What schulen we ete? or, What schulen we drinke? or, With what thing schulen we be keuered?
32 Those who do not know God are always worrying about things like that. But God, your Father who is in heaven, knows that you need all those things, [so you should not worry about them].
For hethene men seken alle these thingis; and youre fadir woot, that ye han nede to alle these thingis.
33 Instead, the most important thing you should be concerned about is to let [God] completely direct your life, and to strive [to live] righteously. [If you do that], all the things that you [need] will be given to you {God will give you all the things [that you need]}.
Therfor seke ye first the kyngdom of God, and his riytfulnesse, and alle these thingis shulen be cast to you.
34 So [each day] do not be worried about what will happen to you the next day, because [when] that day [PRS] comes, [you] will be concerned about [what happens during] that day. You will have enough to be concerned about each day. [So do not worry ahead of time].”
Therfor nyle ye be bisy in to the morew, for the morew shal be bisi to `hym silf; for it suffisith to the dai his owen malice.
