When 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.

你们祷告，不可像外邦人，用许多重复话，他们以为话多了必蒙垂听。

你们祷告，不可像外邦人那样重复一些空话，他们以为话多了必蒙垂听。

你们祷告，不可像外邦人那样重复一些空话，他们以为话多了必蒙垂听。

“你们祷告时不可像外族人那样喋喋不休，他们以为长篇大论，就必蒙上帝垂听。

你们祈祷的时候，不可重复无意义的话，像教外人一样，他们以为话多了就蒙垂听。

你们祷告的时候，不要像外邦人那样，重复无意义的话。他们以为话多了就蒙垂听。

你們禱告，不可像外邦人，用許多重複話，他們以為話多了必蒙垂聽。

你們禱告，不可像外邦人那樣重複一些空話，他們以為話多了必蒙垂聽。

你們禱告，不可像外邦人那樣重複一些空話，他們以為話多了必蒙垂聽。

「你們禱告時不可像外族人那樣喋喋不休，他們以為長篇大論，就必蒙上帝垂聽。

你們祈禱的時候，不可重複無意義的話，像教外人一樣，他們以為話多了就蒙垂聽。

『你們禱告，不要嘮嘮叨叨、像外國人一樣；他們以為用了他們那種重複話，才可以蒙垂聽。

你們禱告的時候，不要像外邦人那樣，重複無意義的話。他們以為話多了就蒙垂聽。

爾祈禱、語勿重複、如異邦人、彼以為言多乃得升聞也、

爾祈禱時、語勿反覆、如異邦人、彼以為言多、乃得聲聞也、

且爾祈禱時、語勿反覆、如異邦人、彼以為言多、必蒙聽允、

祈禱時、毋多言、如異邦人之所為；蓋彼以為冗長其辭、必蒙垂聽矣。

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

“ And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“ When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

“ And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen[ do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.

In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

Don’t be too quick to speak. Don’t be in a hurry to say anything to God. God is in heaven. You are on earth. So use only a few words when you speak.Many worries result in dreams. Many words result in foolish talk.

Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God.

So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon.“ Baal! Answer us!” they shouted. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.At noon Elijah began to tease them.“ Shout louder!” he said.“ I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.”So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. That’s what they usually did when things really looked hopeless.It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention.

So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing.

But then they realized that he was a Jew. So they all shouted the same thing for about two hours.“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” they yelled.

God of Israel, let your promise to my father David come true.“ But will you really live on earth? After all, the heavens can’t hold you. In fact, even the highest heavens can’t hold you. So this temple I’ve built certainly can’t hold you!But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord my God, be ready to help me as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Hear the prayer I’m praying to you today.Let your eyes look toward this temple night and day. You said,‘ I will put my Name there.’ So please listen to the prayer I’m praying toward this place.Hear me when I ask you to help us. Listen to your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen to us from heaven. It’s the place where you live. When you hear us, forgive us.“ Suppose someone does something wrong to their neighbor. And the person who has done something wrong is required to give their word. They must tell the truth about what they have done. They must come and do it in front of your altar in this temple.When they do, listen to them from heaven. Take action. Judge between the person and their neighbor. Punish the guilty one. Do to that person what they have done to their neighbor. Deal with the one who isn’t guilty in a way that shows they are free from blame. That will prove they aren’t guilty.“ Suppose your people Israel have lost the battle against their enemies. And suppose they’ve sinned against you. But they turn back to you and praise your name. They pray to you in this temple. And they ask you to help them.Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Bring them back to the land you gave to their people who lived long ago.“ Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn’t any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they’ve sinned. And they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer.Then listen to them from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live. Send rain on the land you gave them as their share.“ Suppose there isn’t enough food in the land. And a plague strikes the land. The hot winds completely dry up our crops. Or locusts or grasshoppers come and eat them up. Or an enemy surrounds one of our cities and gets ready to attack it. Or trouble or sickness comes.But suppose one of your people prays to you. They ask you to help them. They are aware of how much their own heart is suffering. And they spread out their hands toward this temple to pray.Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Forgive them. Take action. Deal with everyone in keeping with everything they do. You know their hearts. In fact, you are the only one who knows every human heart.Your people will have respect for you. They will respect you as long as they are in the land you gave our people long ago.“ Suppose there are outsiders who don’t belong to your people Israel. And they have come from a land far away. They’ve come because they’ve heard about your name.When they get here, they will find out even more about your great name. They’ll hear about how you reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. So they’ll come and pray toward this temple.Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Do what those outsiders ask you to do. Then all the nations on earth will know you. They will have respect for you. They’ll respect you just as your own people Israel do. They’ll know that your Name is in this house I’ve built.“ Suppose your people go to war against their enemies. It doesn’t matter where you send them. And suppose they pray to you toward the city you have chosen. They pray toward the temple I’ve built for your Name.Then listen to them from heaven. Listen to their prayer for your help. Stand up for them.“ Suppose your people sin against you. After all, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t sin. And suppose you get angry with them. You hand them over to their enemies. They take them as prisoners to their own lands. It doesn’t matter whether those lands are near or far away.But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land of those who won the battle over them. They say,‘ We have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. We’ve done what is evil.’And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land of their enemies who took them away as prisoners. There they pray to you toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I’ve built for your Name.Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to help them. Stand up for them.Your people have sinned against you. Please forgive them. Forgive them for all the wrong things they’ve done against you. And make those who won the battle over them show mercy to them.After all, they are your people. They belong to you. You brought them out of Egypt. You brought them out of that furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure.“ Let your eyes be open to me when I ask you to help us. Let them be open to your people Israel when they ask you to help them. Pay attention to them every time they cry out to you.After all, you chose them out of all the nations in the world. You made them your very own people. You did it just as you had announced through your servant Moses. That’s when you brought out of Egypt our people of long ago. You are our Lord and King.”Solomon finished praying. He finished asking the Lord to help his people. Then he got up from in front of the Lord’ s altar. He had been down on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven.

He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed,“ My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want.”

People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them.

But what if they also refuse to listen to the witnesses? Then tell it to the church. And what if they refuse to listen even to the church? Then don’t treat them as a brother or sister. Treat them as you would treat an ungodly person or a tax collector.

Our God, please listen to us. The city that belongs to you has been destroyed. Open your eyes and see it. We aren’t asking you to answer our prayers because we are godly. Instead, we’re asking you to do it because you love us so much.Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive us! Lord, hear our prayers! Take action for your own honor. Our God, please don’t wait. Your city and your people belong to you.”

Jesus went away a second time. He prayed,“ My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done.”