Matthew 7
1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
“Do not judge and you will not be judged.
2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the standard that you use will be used for you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
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?
4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
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?
5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
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.
6 “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“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.
7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
For the person who asks receives, the person who searches finds, and to the door will be opened to the person who knocks.
9 Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Who among you, when their child asks them for bread, will give them a stone,
10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
or when they ask for a fish, will give them a snake?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
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!
12 Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
“Do to others whatever you would wish them to do to you; for that is the teaching of both the Law and the prophets.
13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it.
Go in by the small gate. The road that leads to destruction is broad and spacious, and many go in by it.
14 How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
For the gate is small, and the road narrow, that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
“Beware of false teachers – people who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves.
16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?
By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
A sound tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a worthless tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Every tree that fails to bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
So it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such people.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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.
22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’
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?’
23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
And then I will say to them plainly ‘I never knew you. Go from my presence, you who live in sin.’
24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.
“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.
25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
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.
26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
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.
27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”
The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,
By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching.
29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
For he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their teachers of the Law.
