The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer

also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. On Easter Sunday 2007 it was estimated that 2 billion Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Christians read, recited, or sang the short prayer in hundreds of languages in houses of worship of all shapes and sizes. Two versions of it occur in the New Testament, one in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9b–13 as part of the discourse on ostentation, a section of the Sermon on the Mount, and the other in the Gospel of Luke 11:2–4.

Translations of Matthew 6:9b–13

(See below for the King James Version.)

American Standard Version

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil [one.]

World English Bible

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Anglican

From Anglican Books of Common Prayer

From the English Book of Common Prayer, Standard of 1662—still the official standard in England & Wales:

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

1. Differences from standard American usage (not including punctuation) are in bold.

Both the Book of Common Prayer (Standard of 1979) of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and the 1980 Alternative Service Book of the Church of England offer versions in both traditional language and modern language.

Traditional language

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, [and] the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

1. The word and in the penultimate line is included in the ECUSA Book of Common Prayer but omitted from the Alternative Service Book.
2. The form used in the 1928 ECUSA Book of Common Prayer is the same, including and in the penultimate line.
3. The form used in the 1662 Church of England Book of Common Prayer has which rather than who in the first line; and is omitted in the penultimate line.

Modern language (Episcopal Book of Common Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your Name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever. Amen.

Modern language (Alternative Service Book)

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

Anglican Missal (Anglo-Catholic)

From the Mass:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.] Deliver us, we beseech thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present, and to come : and at the intercession of the blessed and glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and with Andrew , and with all Saints, give peace graciously in our days, that we, being holpen by the succour of thy mercy, may both alway be free from sin and safe from all disquietude. Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God. World without end. Amen.

Roman Catholic

All.

Our Father,

who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Priest.

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,

and grant us peace in our day.

In your mercy keep us free from sin

and protect us from all anxiety

as we wait in joyful hope

for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

All.

For the kingdom,

the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever.

Eastern Orthodox

All.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Priest.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

All.

Amen.

Edward Harwood, 18th century

O though great governor and parent of universal nature (God) who manifestest thy glory to the blessed inhabitants of heaven—may all thy rational creatures in all the parts of thy boundless dominion be happy in the knowledge of thy existence and providence, and celebrate thy perfections in a manner most worthy of thy nature and perfective of thier own! May the glory of thy moral development be advanced and the great laws of it be more generally obeyed. May the inhabitants of this world pay as cheerful a submission and as constant an obedience to Thy will, as the happy spirits do in the regions of immortality.

Older English versions of the Lord's Prayer

Dated 1611 AD. (Early Modern English; from the King James Version)

Our father which art in heauen,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen.

Giue us this day our daily bread.

And forgiue us our debts as we forgiue our debters.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliuer us from euill.

Amen.

Dated 1384 (Middle English)

Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;

þi reume or kyngdom come to be.

Be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene.

yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.

And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us.

And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.

Old English

See Fæder ūre