Matthew 7
New Matthew Bible
Jesus forbids foolish and presumptuous judgment, reproves hypocrisy, exhorts to prayer, warns us to beware of false prophets, and so concludes his sermon.
7 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For as you judge, so shall you be judged, and the measure you use will be measured back to you. 3 Why do you see a speck in your brother’s eye, and not perceive the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or why do you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, there is a beam in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite, first cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to pluck the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 Do not give that which is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they tread them under their feet and then turn and tear you to shreds.
7 Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For whosoever asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if his son asked for bread, would offer him a stone? 10 Or if he asked for fish, would give him a serpent? 11 If, then, you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
12 Therefore whatever you would have others do unto you, so do unto them. This is the law and the prophets.
13 Enter in at the strait gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in at it. 14 But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are who find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 You may know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, nor yet can a bad tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore, by their fruits you may know them.
21 Not all who say to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many miracles? 23 And then I will declare to them that I never knew them. Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity!
24 Whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. 25 And much rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that same house; and it did not fall, because it was grounded on the rock. 26 And whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And much rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his instruction. 29 For he taught them as one having power, and not as the scribes.
Matthew 7
New King James Version
Do Not Judge(A)
7 “Judge[a] (B)not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; (C)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 (D)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 (E)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(F)
7 (G)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For (H)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 (I)Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, (J)being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, (K)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (L)this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Way(M)
13 (N)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [c]Because narrow is the gate and [d]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits(O)
15 (P)“Beware of false prophets, (Q)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 (R)You will know them by their fruits. (S)Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, (T)every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 (U)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You(V)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, (W)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who (X)does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we (Y)not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And (Z)then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (AA)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Build on the Rock(AB)
24 “Therefore (AC)whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that (AD)the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 (AE)for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Footnotes
- Matthew 7:1 Condemn
- Matthew 7:2 Condemnation
- Matthew 7:14 NU, M How narrow . . . !
- Matthew 7:14 confined
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.