²³ And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, ²⁴ “^(A)Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the head of the house gets up and ^(B)shuts the door, and you begin standing outside and knocking on the door, saying, ‘^(C)Lord, open up to us!’ and He then will answer and say to you, ‘^(D)I do not know where you are from.’ ²⁶ Then you will ^(E)begin saying, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ ²⁷ And yet He will ^[a]say, ‘^(F)I do not know where you are from; ^(G)leave Me, all you ^[b]evildoers.’

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “^(A)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the ^(B)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ^(C)ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will ^[a](D)know them by their fruits. ^[b]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ So ^(E)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ^19 (F)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, you will ^[c]know them ^(G)by their fruits.

²¹ “^(H)Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.