< Matthew 7 >

1 “Do not judge and you will not be judged.
“Do not judge, or you will be judged.
2 For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the standard that you use will be used for you.
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your friend’s eye, while you pay no attention at all to the plank of wood in yours?
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
4 How will you say to your friend ‘Let me take out the speck from your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! Take out the plank from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly how to take out the speck from your friend’s.
You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is sacred to dogs; they will turn and maul you. Do not throw your pearls before pigs; they will trample them underfoot.
Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8 For the person who asks receives, the person who searches finds, and the door will be opened to the person who knocks.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 Who among you, when their child asks them for bread, will give them a stone,
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 or when they ask for a fish, will give them a snake?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 If you, then, wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him!
So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
12 “Do to others whatever you would wish them to do to you; for that is the teaching of both the Law and the prophets.
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
13 Go in by the small gate. The road that leads to destruction is broad and spacious, and many go in by it.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 For the gate is small, and the road narrow, that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 “Beware of false teachers – people who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves.
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit.
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A sound tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a worthless tree bear good fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that fails to bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such people.
So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 Not everyone who says to me ‘Master! Master!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me ‘Master, Master, was not it in your name that we taught, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many miracles?’
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will say to them plainly ‘I never knew you. Go from my presence, you who live in sin.’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
24 “Everyone, therefore, who listens to this teaching of mine and acts on it may be compared to a prudent person, who built their house on the rock.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, for its foundations were on the rock.
The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
26 Everyone who listens to this teaching of mine and does not act on it may be compared to a foolish person, who built their house on the sand.
But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”
28 By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,
29 For he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their teachers of the Law.
because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

< Matthew 7 >