Matthew 6

6 ¹“Make una take care make una no dey do una correct-and-holy way for front of people, so dat dem go fit see una; if not, una no go get any reward from una Papa wey dey for heaven. ²So wen una wan give poor people, no blow trumpet announce am, like how di hypocrite dem dey do for synagogue and for street, so dat people go praise dem. I tell una true-true: dem don already collect dia full reward. ³But wen you wan give poor people, no make your left hand know wetin your right hand dey do, ⁴so dat your gift go remain for secret. Your Papa, wey dey see for secret, go pay you back.

Pray to Your Papa for Secret

⁵“Wen una dey pray, no be like di hypocrite dem wey like to dey stand pray for synagogue and for street corner so dat people go see dem. True-true, I tell una: dem don already collect dia full reward. ⁶But wen you wan pray, enter your room, lock di door, and pray to your Papa for secret. Your Papa wey dey see for secret go reward you. ⁷Wen una dey pray, no dey yarn plenty empty words like di people wey no know di Papa, because dem think say plenty words go make dem hear dem. ⁸No be like dem, because your Papa sabi wetin una need before una even ask am. ⁹So dis na how una suppose pray: ‘Our Papa wey dey for heaven, make your name dey honored as holy, ^a a v9 Jesus dey invite im followers make dem come near our Papa wit di same closeness wey imsef dey enjoy — no be like servant wey dey far, but like beloved pikin dem of di same Papa. ¹⁰make your kingdom come, make dem do wetin you want, for earth just like e dey for heaven. ¹¹Give us today di food wey we need for today. ¹²And forgive us our debt dem, just like we don forgive di people wey owe us. ¹³And no lead us go inside temptation, but deliver us from di evil one.’ ^b b v13 Later copy dem dey close di prayer wit “Because di kingdom and di power and di glory na your own forever. Amen.” Dis words no dey inside di earliest manuscript dem; dem enter di prayer from di early church im worship, wia plenty people still like to talk dem.

¹⁴“Because if una forgive oda people dia sin dem, una Papa for heaven go forgive una too. ¹⁵But if una no forgive oda people dia sin dem, una Papa no go forgive una own sin too.

Fast for Your Papa Alone

¹⁶“Wen una dey fast, no dey make sad face like di hypocrite dem—dem dey spoil dia face so dat people go know say dem dey fast. True-true, I tell una, dem don already get dia full reward. ¹⁷But wen you dey fast, rub oil for your head and wash your face, ^c c v17 To rub oil for head na ordinary everyday grooming for Jesus im culture — di point na just to look like your normal, well-kept self. ¹⁸so dat people no go see say you dey fast, but na only your Papa, wey dey hidden, go see. Den your Papa, wey dey see wetin dey hidden, go reward you.

Store Treasure With Your Papa

¹⁹“No dey store treasure for unaself for earth, wia moth and rust dey spoil am, and wia thief dem dey break in come tif am. ²⁰But store treasure for heaven for unaself, wia moth or rust no dey spoil am, and wia thief dem no fit break in tif am. ²¹Because wia your treasure dey, na dia your heart go dey too.

²²“Di eye na di lamp of di body. If your eye dey clear, your whole body go full of light. ²³But if your eye bad, your whole body go dark. So if di light wey dey inside you na darkness, dat darkness go big well well!

²⁴“Nobody fit serve two master: e go hate one come love di oda one, or e go hold one come despise di oda one. Una no fit serve our Papa and money.

Your Papa Sabi Wetin You Need

²⁵“So I dey tell una: no dey worry about una life—wetin una go chop or drink—or una body—wetin una go wear. Life no pass food, and body no pass cloth? ²⁶Look di bird dem for di sky: dem no dey plant, dem no dey harvest, or store for barn, but una Papa for heaven dey feed dem. Una no worth pass dem? ²⁷Which one of una fit, by worry, add even one hour to im life? ²⁸And why una dey worry about cloth? Look di lily flower dem for di field, how dem dey grow: dem no dey work or spin thread. ²⁹But I tell una: even Solomon, wit all im glory, no dress fine reach one of dese. ³⁰If our Papa dey dress di grass of di field like dis—wey dey here today, and dem go throway am inside fire tomorrow—e no go dress una well well pass, una wey get small faith?

³¹“So no dey worry, dey ask, ‘Wetin we go chop?’ or ‘Wetin we go drink?’ or ‘Wetin we go wear?’ ³²Because na di people wey no know di Papa dey run after all dis things, but una Papa for heaven sabi say una need dem. ³³But first, seek di kingdom of our Papa and im correct-and-holy way, and all dis things go add give una. ³⁴So no dey worry about tomorrow—tomorrow go worry about imsef. Each day get enough wahala of im own.”