Matthew 7
7
Be Careful About Criticizing Others
(Lk. 6:37–38, 41–42)
1“Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. 2If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others.
3“Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? 4Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that 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 to get the dust out of your friend’s eye.
6“Don’t give something that is holy to dogs. They will only turn and hurt you. And don’t throw your pearls to pigs. They will only step on them.
Ask God for What You Need
(Lk. 11:9–13)
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, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.
9“Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? 10Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! 11You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.
A Very Important Rule
12“Do for others what you would 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 and the Way to Hell
(Lk. 13:24)
13“You can enter true life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. 14But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.
What People Do Shows What They Are
(Lk. 6:43–44; 13:25–27)
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 what they do. Good things don’t come from people who are bad, 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 people by what they do.#7:20 by what they do Literally, “by their fruits.”
21“Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter God’s kingdom. The only people who will enter are those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22On that last Day many will call me Lord. They will say, ‘Lord, Lord, by the power of your name we spoke for God. And by your name we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ 23Then I will tell those people clearly, ‘Get away from me, you people who do wrong. I never knew you.’
Two Kinds of People
(Lk. 6:47–49)
24“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock.
26“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.”
28When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. 29He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority.
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Matthew 7: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 7
7
1 DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.
2 For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.
3 Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother's eye.
6 Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.
7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?
11 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!
12 So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets.
13 Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.
14 But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it. [Deut. 30:19; Jer. 21:8.]
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. [Ezek. 22:27.]
16 You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.
18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
20 Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.
21 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.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?
23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. [Ps. 6:8.]
24 So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.
25 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.
27 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell–and great and complete was the fall of it.
28 When Jesus had finished these sayings [the Sermon on the Mount], the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His teaching,
29 For He was teaching as One Who had [and was] authority, and not as [did] the scribes.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation