Matthew 7
1“Do not judge, so that you are not judged.
2For by the standard with which you judge others, you will be judged, and by the standard with which you measure, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you see the splinter that is in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and yet look, there is a log in your own eye?
5You hypocrite, take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your neighbor’s eye.
6“Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls in front of pigs, otherwise they will trample them under their feet, turn around, and tear you to pieces.
7“Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you!
8For everyone who keeps asking receives, and the one who keeps seeking finds, and to the one who keeps knocking the door will be opened.
9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone,
10or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11So, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more certainly will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?
12Therefore, however you want people to treat you, treat them the same way, for this sums up 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 there are many who enter through it.
14How narrow is the gate and difficult is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are destructive, greedy wolves.
16You will recognize them by their fruit. 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, neither 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 fruit.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter.
22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock,
25and the rain fell, and the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat violently against that house, and yet it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand,
27and the rain fell, and the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
28And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished speaking these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their experts in the law.