Matthew 7

1Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.

2For the same judgment you pass on others will be passed on you, and the measure you measure with will be used to measure you.

3Why do you look at the bit of sawdust in the eye of your brother or sister, yet fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

4Or how can you tell your brother or sister, ‘Here, let me get that bit of sawdust out of your eye,’ while there is a beam right there in your own eye?

5Hypocrite! Remove the beam from your own eye first, and then you will see well enough to remove the bit of sawdust from the eye of your brother or sister.

6Do not hand what is holy to the dogs, and do not toss your pearls in front of pigs, or they will stamp on them with their feet and then turn around and rip you apart.

7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8For everyone who asks receives, whoever seeks finds, and to whoever knocks it will be opened.

9Or which person among you would hand his son a stone when he asks for bread?

10Or would he hand him a snake if he asks for a fish?

11So if you, evil as you are, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give what is good to the people who ask him!

12So whatever you would like people to do for you, do just that for them, because this is the Law and the Prophets.

13Go in through the narrow gate, because the road that leads away to destruction is roomy and its gate is broad, and there are many who go in by it.

14How narrow the gate is, and how cramped the road that leads to life, and few are the ones who find it!

15Be on guard against false prophets. They come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are savage wolves.

16You will know them by the fruit they bear. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17So it is that every good tree produces fine fruit, while a rotten tree produces bad fruit.

18A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit.

19Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20So then, you will know them by the fruit they bear.

21Not all who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who carries out the will of my Father in heaven.

22When that day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, was it not in your name that we prophesied, in your name that we cast out demons, and in your name that we did many mighty works?’

23At that time I will openly declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do lawless things!’

24So anyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.

25The rain poured down, the torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, yet it did not fall, because its foundations were set on the rock.

26And anyone who listens to 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 poured down, the torrents came, and the winds blew and battered that house, and it fell, and its fall was tremendous.”

28When Jesus finished speaking these words, the crowds were astounded by his teaching,

29for he taught them like someone with authority, not the way their scribes did.