Do Not Judge

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.(A) For with the judgment you use,[a] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,[b] it will be measured to you.(B) Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?(C) 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? 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. Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,(D) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

“Keep asking,[c](E) and it will be given to you.(F) Keep searching,[d] and you will find. Keep knocking,[e] and the door[f] will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,(G) and to the one who knocks, the door[g] will be opened. 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,(H) 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.[h](I)

Entering the Kingdom

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,(K) 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(L) who come to you in sheep’s(M) clothing(N) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.(O) 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit.(P) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?(Q) 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.(R) 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.(S)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,(T) but only the one who does the will(U) of My Father in heaven.(V) 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons(W) in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’(X) 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers![i](Y)[j]

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore,(Z) everyone who hears these words(AA) 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,[k](AB) the crowds were astonished at His teaching,(AC) 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 7:2 Lit you judge
  2. Matthew 7:2 Lit you measure
  3. Matthew 7:7 Or Ask
  4. Matthew 7:7 Or Search
  5. Matthew 7:7 Or Knock
  6. Matthew 7:7 Lit and it
  7. Matthew 7:8 Lit knocks, it
  8. Matthew 7:12 When capitalized, the Law and the Prophets = the OT
  9. Matthew 7:23 Lit you who work lawlessness
  10. Matthew 7:23 Ps 6:8
  11. Matthew 7:28 Lit had ended these words

Judging Others(A)

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.(B) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(C)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock(D)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(G) to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets.(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(L) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(N) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(O) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(P) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(S) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(U) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(W)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(Z) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.