Matthew 7

¹"Do not sit in judgment, so that you are not judged. ²For by the standard you use to judge, you will be judged; and by the measure you use to measure out, it will be measured to you. ³Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the construction beam in your own eye? ⁴Or how will you say to your brother, 'Let me take the splinter out of your eye,' when look—the beam is in your own eye? ⁵You performer! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.

⁶Do not give what is holy to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will stomp them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. ⁹Is there any person among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish—will give him a snake? ¹¹So if you, corrupt as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to those who ask him!

¹²Therefore, in everything, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

¹³Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. ¹⁴But narrow is the gate and cramped is the road that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

¹⁵Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inside are predatory wolves. ¹⁶You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷In the same way, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰So then, you will recognize them by their fruits.

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

²⁴Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and slammed against that house, but it did not fall, for its foundation had been laid on the rock. ²⁶And 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. ²⁷The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and its collapse was total."

²⁸When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded by his teaching; ²⁹for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like their scribes.