Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 6:25-34:

I tell you not to worry about food, drink, or clothes!
       Life is more than what you eat and wear.
Birds don’t plant or harvest,
yet your Father above takes care of them,
       and you are worth much more than a flock of birds.

You may think the more you worry, the longer you live.
That’s simply not so.
       Why worry about what you will wear?
Even royalty looks drab beside daffodils and regal lilies,
yet God colors and clothes the wild flowers,
       even though they will wither in the summer heat.
Why do you have such little faith? God will take care of you.

Worry — wearisome worry about food, drink, and clothes —
       Only a heathen would nurture such worries.
Put God first in everything you do and worry no more,
       then all your needs will be met.
Why worry about tomorrow? Today is worrisome enough.