Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer (sometimes known by its first two Latin words as the Pater Noster, or the English equivalent Our Father) is probably the most well-known prayer in the Christian religion. The Lord's Prayer is excerpted from Matt 6:9-13 during the Sermon on the Mount. (A similar prayer is found on Luke 11:2-4.)
It is called the "Lord's Prayer" because it was a prayer given by Jesus Christ (ie. the "Lord") as response to a request from the Apostles for guidance on how to pray. Most Christian theologians argue that Jesus Christ would have never used this prayer himself, for it specifically asks for forgiveness of sins (or more literally for cancellation of debts), and in most schools of Christian thought, Christ never sinned. However since it says "forgive us our sins", not "forgive me my sins", some claim that Christ might have prayed it by way of identifing himself with the common plight of man and of asking for the forgiveness of the sins of his disciples.
The doxology (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.) was probably not present in the original version of the prayer, but rather was added to the Gospels as a result of its use in the liturgy of the early church. For this reason, it is not included in many modern translations.
In Greek (from which all others are translated):
- Pater hÃÂêmÃÂôn ho en toes ouranoes;
- hagiasthÃÂêtÃÂô to onoma sou;
- elthetÃÂô hÃÂê basileia sou;
- genÃÂêthÃÂêtÃÂô to thelÃÂêma sou,
- hÃÂôs en ouranÃÂô, kae epi tÃÂês gÃÂês.
- ton arton hÃÂêmÃÂôn ton epiousion dos hÃÂêmin sÃÂêmeron;
- kae aphes hÃÂêmin ta opheilÃÂêmata hÃÂêmÃÂôn,
- hÃÂôs kae hÃÂêmeis aphiemen toes opheiletaes hÃÂêmÃÂôn;
- kae mÃÂê eisenenkÃÂês hÃÂêmas eis peirasmon,
- alla rhysae hÃÂêmas apo tou ponerou.
- hoti sou estin hÃÂê basileia kae hÃÂê dynamis kae hÃÂê doxa eis tous aeÃÂônas;
- amÃÂên.
In Latin:
- Pater Noster, qui es in caelis,
- Sanctificetur nomen tuum.
- Adveniat regnum tuum,
- Fiat voluntas tua,
- sicut in caelo, et in terra.
- Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
- Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
- sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
- Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
- Sed libera nos a malo.
- Amen.
Although numerous variations exist, this version, from the 1928 proposed revision of the Book of Common Prayer, is a fairly well known example:
- 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.
Apart from four minor words and some capital letters, this is essentially the same as the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: the earlier version had "which art in Heaven", "in Earth", and "them that trespass".
When the Lord's Prayer is recited in the Roman Catholic Mass (according to the 1969 Roman Missal), an additional section, recited by the Priest alone, is inserted before the final doxology ("For thine is the kingdom", etc.):
- 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.
Catholics, when reciting the Lord's prayer, omit the doxology, since in the Mass it is separated from the rest of the prayer by the additional section.
When Eastern Orthodox Christians pray the Lord's prayer, the priest, if one is present, says a modified version of the doxology:
- All.
- Our Father, who art in the heavens,
- 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.
If a priest is not present, a different doxology is typically substituted and said by those present, such as Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. In the Russian practice, however, when a priest is not serving the doxology is replaced by the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us).
Here is a version of the Lord's Prayer in Scots:
- Oor Faither in hieven,
- hallaed be thy name;
- thy Keengdom come;
- thy will be duin
- on the yird, as in hieven.
- Gie us oor breid for this incomin day;
- forgie us the wrangs we hae wrocht,
- as we forgie the wrangs we hae dree'd;
- an sey us na sairly, but sauf us
- fae the Ill Ane.
Here is a version of the Pater Noster in Croatian:
- Oče naš, koji jesi na nebesima,
- sveti se Ime Tvoje.
- Dođi kraljevstvo Tvoje, budi volja Tvoja,
- kako na Nebu, tako i na Zemlji.
- Kruh naš svagdanji daj nam danas,
- i otpusti nam duge naše,
- kako i mi otpuštamo dužnicima našim.
- i ne uvedi nas u napast,
- nego izbavi nas of zla.
- Amen.
Here is the standard version of the Pater Noster in German:
- Vater Unser im Himmel,
- Geheiligt werde Dein Name.
- Dein Reich komme,
- Dein Wille geschehe,
- Wie im Himmel, so auf Erden.
- Unser tÃÂägliches Brot gib uns heute,
- und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
- wie auch wir vergeben unseren Schuldigern.
- Und fÃÂühre uns nicht in Versuchung,
- sondern erlÃÂöse uns von dem BÃÂösen.
- Denn Dein ist das Reich, und die Kraft, und die Herrlichkeit,
- in Ewigkeit.
- Amen
Here is a version of the Pater Noster in Swedish:
- Fader VÃÂÃÂ¥r som ÃÂär i Himmelen.
- Helgat varde Ditt namn.
- Tillkomme Ditt Rike.
- Ske Din vilja, sÃÂÃÂ¥som i Himmelen
- sÃÂÃÂ¥ ock pÃÂÃÂ¥ Jorden.
- VÃÂÃÂ¥rt dagliga brÃÂöd giv oss idag
- Och fÃÂörlÃÂÃÂ¥t oss vÃÂÃÂ¥ra skulder
- sÃÂÃÂ¥som ock vi fÃÂörlÃÂÃÂ¥ta dem oss skyldiga ÃÂäro
- och inled oss icke i frestelse
- utan frÃÂäls oss ifrÃÂÃÂ¥n ondo.
- Ty Riket ÃÂär Ditt och Makten och HÃÂärligheten
- i Evighet.
- Amen
Here is a version of the Pater Noster in Aramaic:
- Abwoon d'bwashmaya,
- Nethqadash shmakh,
- Teytey malkuthakh.
- Nehwey tzevyanach aykanna d'bwashmaya aph b'arha.
- Hawvlan lachma d'sunqanan yaomana.
- Washboqlan khaubayn (wakhtahayn)
- aykana daph khnan shbwoqan l'khayyabayn.
- Wela tahlan l'nesyuna.
- Ela patzan min bisha.
- Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l'ahlam almin.
- Amen.
Gothic bishop Ulfilas wrote down the "Atta Unsar" or "Lord's Prayer" in circa 350 AD.
Here is one version :
- Atta unsar, ÃÂþu in himinam,
- weihnai namo ÃÂþein,
- qimai ÃÂþiudinassus ÃÂþeins,
- wairÃÂþai wilja ÃÂþeins,
- swe in himina jah ana airÃÂþai.
- hlaif unsarana ÃÂþana sinteinan gif uns himma daga,
- jah aflet uns ÃÂþatei skulans sijaima,
- swaswe jah weis afletam ÃÂþaim skulam unsaraim,
- jah ni briggais uns in fraistubnjai,
- ak lausei uns af ÃÂþamma ubilin;
- unte ÃÂþeina ist ÃÂþiudangardi
- jah mahts jah wulÃÂþus in aiwins.
- Amen.
Older English versions of the Lord's Prayer
Dated 1611 AD.
- 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 AD.
- Oure fadir ÃÂþat art in heuenes halwid be ÃÂþi name;
- ÃÂþi reume or kyngdom come to be.
- Be ÃÂþi wille don in herÃÂþe as it is doun in heuene.
- yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.
- And foryeue to us oure dettis ÃÂþat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris ÃÂþat is to men ÃÂþat han synned in us.
- And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.
Dated circa 1000 AD.
- FÃÂæder ure ÃÂþu ÃÂþe eart on heofonum
- si ÃÂþin nama gehalgod
- tobecume ÃÂþin rice
- gewurÃÂþe ÃÂþin willa
- on eorÃÂðan swa swa on heofonum
- urne gedÃÂæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dÃÂæg
- and forgyf us ure gyltas
- swa swa we forgyfaÃÂð urum gyltendum
- and ne gelÃÂæd ÃÂþu us on costnunge
- ac alys us of yfele soÃÂþlice.
See also: Amen
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A paternoster is also a type of elevator deriving its name from the Lord's Prayer. See paternoster for details.