Do Not Judge

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.(A) For with the judgment you use,[a] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,[b] it will be measured to you.(B) Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?(C) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs,(D) or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

“Keep asking,[c](E) and it will be given to you.(F) Keep searching,[d] and you will find. Keep knocking,[e] and the door[f] will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,(G) and to the one who knocks, the door[g] will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil,(H) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.[h](I)

Entering the Kingdom

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,(K) and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

15 “Beware of false prophets(L) who come to you in sheep’s(M) clothing(N) but inwardly are ravaging wolves.(O) 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit.(P) Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?(Q) 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(R) 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.(S)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,(T) but only the one who does the will(U) of My Father in heaven.(V) 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons(W) in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’(X) 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers![i](Y)[j]

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore,(Z) everyone who hears these words(AA) of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

28 When Jesus had finished this sermon,[k](AB) the crowds were astonished at His teaching,(AC) 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

A Man Cleansed

When He came down from the mountain, large crowds(AD) followed Him. Right away(AE) a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him,(AF) saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Reaching out His hand He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his disease was healed.[l] Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;(AG) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.”(AH)

A Centurion’s Faith

When He entered Capernaum,(AI) a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!”

“I will come and heal him,” He told him.

“Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured.(AJ) For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.[m] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! 11 I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.(AK) 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(AL) 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed,(AM) let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.[n]

Healings at Capernaum

14 When Jesus went into Peter’s house,(AN) He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve Him. 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits(AO) with a word and healed all who were sick,(AP) 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

He Himself took our weaknesses
and carried our diseases.(AQ)[o]

Following Jesus

18 When Jesus saw large crowds[p](AR) around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.[q] 19 A scribe approached Him and said,(AS) “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!”

20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man(AT) has no place to lay His head.”

21 “Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”[r]

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey the Master

23 As He got into the[s] boat,(AU) His disciples(AV) followed Him. 24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. 25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea.(AW) And there was a great calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey(AX) Him!”

Demons Driven Out by the Master

28 When He had come to the other side,(AY) to the region of the Gadarenes,[t] two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us,[u][v] Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”(AZ)

30 Now a long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 “If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 “Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. 34 At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 7:2 Lit you judge
  2. Matthew 7:2 Lit you measure
  3. Matthew 7:7 Or Ask
  4. Matthew 7:7 Or Search
  5. Matthew 7:7 Or Knock
  6. Matthew 7:7 Lit and it
  7. Matthew 7:8 Lit knocks, it
  8. Matthew 7:12 When capitalized, the Law and the Prophets = the OT
  9. Matthew 7:23 Lit you who work lawlessness
  10. Matthew 7:23 Ps 6:8
  11. Matthew 7:28 Lit had ended these words
  12. Matthew 8:3 Lit cleansed
  13. Matthew 8:9 Lit under me
  14. Matthew 8:13 Or that hour; lit very hour
  15. Matthew 8:17 Is 53:4
  16. Matthew 8:18 Other mss read saw a crowd
  17. Matthew 8:18 = Sea of Galilee
  18. Matthew 8:21 Not necessarily meaning his father was already dead
  19. Matthew 8:23 Other mss read to a
  20. Matthew 8:28 Other mss read Gergesenes
  21. Matthew 8:29 Other mss add Jesus
  22. Matthew 8:29 Lit What to us and to You

Judging Others(A)

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.(B) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(C)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock(D)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(G) to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets.(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(L) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(N) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(O) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(P) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(S) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(U) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(W)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(Z) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy(AA)

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy[a](AB) came and knelt before him(AC) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.(AD) But go, show yourself to the priest(AE) and offer the gift Moses commanded,(AF) as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion(AG)

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,(AH) suffering terribly.”

Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.(AI) For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.(AJ) 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,(AK) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.(AL) 12 But the subjects of the kingdom(AM) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(AN)

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”(AO) And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many(AP)

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.(AQ) 17 This was to fulfill(AR) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
    and bore our diseases.”[b](AS)

The Cost of Following Jesus(AT)

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.(AU) 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man(AV) has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me,(AW) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm(AX)(AY)

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith,(AZ) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.(BA)

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men(BB)

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[c] two demon-possessed(BC) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us,(BD) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”(BE)

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:2 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Matthew 8:17 Isaiah 53:4 (see Septuagint)
  3. Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes