Matthew 7  Legacy Standard Bible

Judging Others

7 “^(A)Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and ^(B)with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. ³ And why do you ^(C)look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ^4 (D)Or how ^[a]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You 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 what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

⁷ “^[b](F)Ask, and ^(G)it will be given to you; ^[c]seek, and you will find; ^[d]knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you ^[e]who, when his son asks for a loaf, ^[f]will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or ^[g]if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, ^(H)how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

¹² “^(I)Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them, for ^(J)this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate

¹³ “^(K)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the ^(L)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ^(M)ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will ^[h](N)know them by their fruits. ^[i]Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, ^(O)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ^19 (P)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, you will ^[j]know them ^(Q)by their fruits.

²¹ “^(R)Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ^22 (S)Many will say to Me on ^(T)that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many ^[k]miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; ^(U)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

²⁴ “Therefore ^(V)everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, ^[l]may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

^28 [m](W)Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, ^(X)the crowds were astonished at His teaching; ²⁹ for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.