Matthew 5:16

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Pet 2:12 : 12 and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.
  • John 15:8 : 8 My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.
  • 2 Cor 9:13 : 13 Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone.
  • 1 Pet 3:16 : 16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.
  • 1 Pet 4:14 : 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you.
  • 1 John 1:5-7 : 5 God Is Light, So We Must Walk in the Light Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
  • 2 Thess 1:10-12 : 10 when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed– and you did in fact believe our testimony. 11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Phil 2:15-16 : 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world 16 by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.
  • Eph 5:8 : 8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light–
  • Isa 60:1-3 : 1 Zion’s Future Splendor“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the LORD shines on you! 2 For, look, darkness covers the earth and deep darkness covers the nations, but the LORD shines on you; his splendor appears over you. 3 Nations come to your light, kings to your bright light.
  • Isa 58:8 : 8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the LORD’s splendor will be your rear guard.
  • Matt 6:1-5 : 1 Pure-hearted Giving“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! 3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 5 Private Prayer“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward!
  • 1 Tim 5:25 : 25 Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.
  • 1 Pet 4:11 : 11 Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
  • 1 Tim 6:18 : 18 Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others.
  • Titus 2:7 : 7 showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,
  • Titus 2:14 : 14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.
  • Eph 2:10 : 10 For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.
  • 1 Thess 2:12 : 12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory.
  • 1 Thess 5:6-8 : 6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.
  • Titus 3:7-8 : 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” 8 Summary of the Letter This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.
  • Titus 3:14 : 14 Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.
  • Heb 10:24 : 24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,
  • 1 Pet 2:9 : 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
  • Prov 4:18 : 18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.
  • Isa 61:3 : 3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.
  • Matt 5:45 : 45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
  • Matt 9:8 : 8 When the crowd saw this, they were afraid and honored God who had given such authority to men.
  • Matt 23:5 : 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.
  • Gal 1:24 : 24 So they glorified God because of me.
  • Acts 9:36 : 36 Peter Raises Dorcas Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha(which in translation means Dorcas). She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.
  • Rom 13:11-14 : 11 Motivation to Godly Conduct And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. 12 The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.
  • 1 Cor 14:25 : 25 The secrets of his heart are disclosed, and in this way he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God, declaring,“God is really among you.”
  • 1 Pet 3:1 : 1 Wives and Husbands In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,
  • Titus 3:4 : 4 But“when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,
  • 1 Tim 5:10 : 10 and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress– as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works.
  • 1 Tim 2:10 : 10 but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God.
  • Matt 6:9 : 9 So pray this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,
  • Matt 6:16 : 16 Proper Fasting“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward!
  • Matt 23:9 : 9 And call no one your‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
  • Luke 11:2 : 2 So he said to them,“When you pray, say: Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Matt 5:11-15
    5 verses
    88%

    11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.

    12Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

    13Salt and Light“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people!

    14You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.

    15People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

  • Luke 11:33-36
    4 verses
    83%

    33Internal Light“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.

    34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness.

    35Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness.

    36If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

  • Luke 8:16-17
    2 verses
    81%

    16Showing the Light“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light.

    17For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.

  • Matt 6:1-6
    6 verses
    78%

    1Pure-hearted Giving“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

    2Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward!

    3But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

    4so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

    5Private Prayer“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward!

    6But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

  • Mark 4:21-22
    2 verses
    77%

    21The Parable of the Lamp He also said to them,“A lamp isn’t brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand?

    22For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light.

  • Matt 6:18
    76%

    18so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

  • Luke 12:35
    75%

    35Call to Faithful Stewardship“Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning;

  • Matt 13:43
    75%

    43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

  • Matt 6:22-23
    2 verses
    74%

    22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

    23But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

  • 2 Cor 4:6
    74%

    6For God, who said“Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.

  • John 5:35
    73%

    35He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time in his light.

  • Luke 17:24
    73%

    24For just like the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

  • John 7:4
    73%

    4For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”

  • John 3:19-21
    3 verses
    73%

    19Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

    20For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

    21But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

  • John 12:35-36
    2 verses
    73%

    35Jesus replied,“The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

    36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

  • John 12:46
    73%

    46I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.

  • Eph 5:13
    73%

    13But all things being exposed by the light are made visible.

  • Luke 12:3
    72%

    3So then whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.

  • 1 Tim 5:25
    72%

    25Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.

  • Matt 5:45
    72%

    45so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

  • John 8:12
    72%

    12Jesus as the Light of the World Then Jesus spoke out again,“I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

  • Matt 17:2
    72%

    2And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

  • Matt 5:48
    72%

    48So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

  • Phil 2:15
    72%

    15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world

  • Matt 10:27
    72%

    27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

  • John 9:5
    72%

    5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

  • Matt 6:16
    72%

    16Proper Fasting“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward!

  • Matt 4:16
    71%

    16the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.”

  • Matt 5:17
    71%

    17Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.

  • Rom 14:16
    71%

    16Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.

  • Matt 23:5
    71%

    5They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.

  • 1 Pet 2:12
    71%

    12and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.