Matthew 7
Do Not Judge
7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.1 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.2 7:3 Why3 do you see the speck4 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see5 the beam of wood6 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say7 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.8
Ask, Seek, Knock
7:7 “Ask9 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door10 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks11 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is12 there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?13 7:11 If you then, although you are evil,14 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts15 to those who ask him! 7:12 In16 everything, treat others as you would want them17 to treat you,18 for this fulfills19 the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.20 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered21 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?22 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad23 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
Judgment of Pretenders
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’24 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do25 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’26
Hearing and Doing
7:24 “Everyone27 who hears these words of mine and does them is like28 a wise man29 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood30 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!”31
7:28 When32 Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority,33 not like their experts in the law.34