King James Bible
"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
Jesus commands his followers to give charitably without fanfare or self-promotion. The metaphor of trumpet-sounding emphasizes the absurdity of drawing attention to acts meant to help others, revealing how pride corrupts even good deeds. The religious leaders performed their charity in the most public venues—synagogues for religious acclaim and streets for social recognition. Their true motivation is exposed: seeking human praise rather than honoring God or genuinely helping the needy. With solemn authority ('Verily'), Jesus declares that those who seek human applause receive exactly what they wanted—temporary earthly recognition—but forfeit any eternal reward from God. The perfect tense suggests their account with God is already closed.