Matthew 7

7 ¹ "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while 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 Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they may trample them underfoot and turn and tear you to pieces.

The Father Gives to Those Who Ask

⁷ Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what person 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, 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 So in everything, do to others whatever you would have them do to you; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

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

Known by Their Fruit

¹⁵ Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ In the same way, 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 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Only Those Who Do the Father's Will

²¹ Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of our Father, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?' ²³ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'

Build on the Rock

²⁴ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell — and great was its fall.

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, ²⁹ because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.