Mat 7 | HCSB | STEP | “Do not judge , so that you won’t be judged .

Matthew 7

Do Not Judge

1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. ^a 2 For with the judgment you use, ^{▼▼Lit you judge} you will be judged, and with the measure you use, ^{▼▼Lit you measure} it will be measured to you. ^d 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? ^e 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, ^f or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

7 “Keep asking, ^{▼▼Or Ask
,} ^h and it will be given to you. ⁱ Keep searching, ^{▼▼Or Search} and you will find. Keep knocking, ^{▼▼Or Knock} and the door ^{▼▼Lit and it} will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, ^m and to the one who knocks, the door ^{▼▼Lit knocks, it} will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, ^o 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 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them – this is the Law and the Prophets. ^{▼▼When capitalized, the Law and the Prophets = the OT
,} ^q

Entering the Kingdom

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. ^r For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, ^s and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

15 “Beware of false prophets ^t who come to you in sheep’s ^u clothing ^v but inwardly are ravaging wolves. ^w 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. ^x Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ^y 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ^z 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. ^aa

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, ^ab but only the one who does the will ^ac of My Father in heaven. ^ad 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons ^ae in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ ^af 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’ ^{▼▼Lit you who work lawlessness} ^{ah
,} ^ai

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore, ^aj everyone who hears these words ^ak of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

28 When Jesus had finished this sermon, ^{▼▼Lit had ended these words
,} ^am the crowds were astonished at His teaching, ^an 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their ^{▼▼scribe(s): A professional group in Judaism that copied the law of Moses and interpreted it, especially in legal cases}scribes.