Matthew 7

Judging Others

1 ^a“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 ^bFor with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and ^cwith the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but ^ddo not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 ^e“Do not give ^fdogs what is holy, and do not throw your ^gpearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

7 ^h“Ask, ⁱand it will be given to you; ^jseek, and you will find; ^kknock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for ^lbread, will give him ^ma stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, ⁿwho are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ^oyour Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

12“So ^pwhatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is ^qthe Law and the Prophets.

13 ^r“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy ▼

▼Some manuscripts  For the way is wide and easy

that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and ^tthe way is hard that leads to life, and ^uthose who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 ^v“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ^wravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them ^xby their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, ^yevery healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 ^zEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them ^aaby their fruits.

I Never Knew You

21 ^ab“Not everyone who ^acsays to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will ^adenter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who ^aedoes the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 ^afOn that day ^agmany will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not ^ahprophesy in your name, and cast out demons ^aiin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 ^ajAnd then will I declare to them, ‘I ^aknever knew you; ^aldepart from me, ^amyou workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

24 ^an“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like ^aoa wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like ^apa foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

28And when Jesus finished these sayings, ^aqthe crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 ^arfor he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.