Matthew 7
7
Be Careful About Judging Others
1“Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. 2You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you.
3“Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? 4Why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.
6“Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.
Ask God for What You Need
7“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8Yes, everyone who continues asking will receive. He who continues searching will find. And he who continues knocking will have the door opened for him.
9“What would you do if your son asks for bread? Which of you would give him a stone? 10Or if your son asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? 11Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.
The Most Important Rule
12“Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.
The Way to Heaven Is Hard
13“Enter through the narrow gate. The road that leads to hell is a very easy road. And the gate to hell is very wide. Many people enter through that gate. 14But the gate that opens the way to true life is very small. And the road to true life is very hard. Only a few people find that road.
People Know You by Your Actions
15“Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. 16You will know these people because of the things they do. Good things don’t come from bad people, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes. And figs don’t come from thorny weeds. 17In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit. And bad trees produce bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20You will know these false prophets by what they produce.
21“Not everyone who says ‘You are my Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants. 22On the last day many people will say to me, ‘You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ 23Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’
Two Kinds of People
24“Everyone who hears these things I say and obeys them is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. 25It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall, because the house was built on rock. 26But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. 27It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a big crash.”
28When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at his teaching. 29Jesus did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority.
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Matthew 7: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Matthew 7
7
Judging others
(Luke 6.37,38,41,42)
Jesus said:
1Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. 2God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.#Mk 4.24.
3You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. 4How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don't see the log in your own eye? 5You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.
6Don't give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don't throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.
Ask, search, knock
(Luke 11.9-13)
Jesus continued:
7Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. 9Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? 10Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 11As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
12Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets#7.12 the Law and the Prophets: See the note at 5.17. are all about.#Lk 6.31.
The narrow gate
(Luke 13.24)
Jesus continued:
13Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. 14But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it.
A tree and its fruit
(Luke 6.43-45)
Jesus continued:
15Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. 16You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thorn bushes. 17A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burnt.#Mt 3.10; Lk 3.9. 20You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.#Mt 12.33.
A warning
(Luke 13.26,27)
Jesus continued:
21Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. 22On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and performed many miracles.” 23But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!”#Ps 6.8.
Two builders
(Luke 6.47-49)
Jesus continued:
24Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.
26Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn't obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.
28When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were surprised at his teaching.#Mk 1.22; Lk 4.32. 29He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012