Matthew 7
Worldwide English (New Testament)
7 Do not judge others, then you will not be judged.
2 The way you judge others, that is the way you will be judged. How much you give to others is how much will be given to you.
3 `Why do you look at the spot of dust in your brother's eye? But you do not see a big stick in your own eye!
4 Why do you say to your brother, "Let me take the dust out of your eye"? And all the time you have that stick in your own eye!
5 You are not true to yourselves! First take the stick out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see to take the dust out of your brother's eye.
6 `Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not throw your fine stones to pigs. They will walk all over them, and then turn and hurt you.'
7 `Ask, and you will get what you ask for. Look, and you will find what you look for. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.
8 Everyone who asks will get. The one who looks will find. And the one who knocks will have the door opened for him.
9 `If your son asks for bread, will any of you give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake?
11 You are wrong, and yet you know how to give good things to your children. Much more, your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask him.
12 `Do to other people what you want them to do to you. That is what the law and the writings of the prophets say.'
13 `Go in by the small gate. The gate is big and the road is wide that goes to death. Many people go that way.
14 The gate is small and the road is not wide that goes to life. Not many people find it.'
15 `Take care. There are prophets who are not true. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are like wolves, bad animals that kill sheep.
16 You will know them by the things they do. People do not pick fruit like grapes from thistles. They do not pick fruit like figs from thorn trees.
17 In the same way, every good tree has good fruit. But a bad tree has bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot have bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot have good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.
20 So you will know them by the things they do, good or bad fruit.'
21 `Some people say to me, "Lord, Lord". But not all who say that will go into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants, will go in.
22 Many people will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not drive bad spirits out of people in your name? Did we not do big works in your name?"
23 Then I will say to them, "I never knew you. Go away from me! What you do is very wrong!" '
24 `Everyone who hears what I say and obeys me will be like a man who has good sense. He built his house on a rock.
25 It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. But it did not fall down. It was built on a rock.
26 But everyone who hears what I say and does not obey me, will be like a man who has no sense. He built his house on the sand.
27 It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. It fell down with a loud noise!'
28 Jesus finished saying all these things. The people were surprised at his teaching.
29 He taught them as if he had the right to teach them. He did not teach like their scribes.
Matthew 7
Expanded Bible
Be Careful About Judging Others(A)
7 “Don’t judge others, ·or you will [so that you will not] be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and ·the amount you give to others will be given to you [or the standard you use for others will be the standard used for you; L with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you].
3 “Why do you notice the ·little piece of dust [speck; tiny splinter] in your ·friend’s [L brother’s (or sister’s)] eye, but you don’t ·notice [consider] the ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your ·friend [L brother], ‘Let me take that ·little piece of dust [speck; splinter] out of your eye’? ·Look at yourself [T Behold]! You still have that ·big piece of wood [log; plank; beam] in your own eye. 5 You hypocrite! First, take the ·wood [log; plank; beam] out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the ·dust [speck; splinter] out of your ·friend’s [L brother’s] eye.
6 “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls ·before [to] ·pigs [T swine]. ·Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn to attack you [L They will trample them and turn to attack you; C pigs were ritually unclean and dogs were considered scavengers].
Ask God for What You Need(B)
7 “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [L it will be given; C the passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. 8 ·Yes, [L For; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.
9 “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or [L which of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? 11 ·Even though you are bad, you [If you, being evil,] know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!
The Most Important Rule(C)
12 “[So always; So in everything] ·Do to others what [Treat others as] you want them to ·do to [treat] you. This ·is [sums up; is the essence of] the ·meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets [L Law and the Prophets; C referring to the OT].
The Way to Heaven Is Hard(D)
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. [L Because] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [L destruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate. 14 But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.
People Know You by Your Actions(E)
15 “·Be careful of [Beware of; Watch out for] false prophets. They come to you ·looking gentle like sheep [disguised like sheep; L in sheep’s clothing], but ·they are really dangerous like wolves [L underneath/inwardly they are ravenous/vicious/ferocious wolves]. 16 You will know these people by ·what they do [L their fruit]. ·Grapes don’t come [L Can you pick grapes…?] from thornbushes, ·and figs don’t come from [L and figs from…?] ·thorny weeds [thistles]. 17 In the same way, every ·good [healthy; sound] tree produces good fruit, but a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree produces bad fruit. 18 A ·good [healthy; sound] tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a ·bad [rotten; diseased] tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 In the same way, you will know ·these false prophets [L them] by ·what they do [L their fruit].
21 “Not all those who say [L to me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [L ‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven]. 22 On ·the last day [judgment day; L that day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [L Did we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [L cast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [L mighty works in your name…?].’ 23 Then I will ·tell them clearly [declare to them; publicly announce to them], ‘I never knew you. ·Get away [Depart] from me, you who ·do evil [break God’s law; practice lawlessness; Ps. 6:8].’
Two Kinds of People(F)
24 “Everyone who hears my words and ·obeys [acts on; practices] them is like a ·wise [sensible] man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the ·floods came [rivers rose], and the winds blew and ·hit [beat; slammed against] that house. But it did not ·fall [collapse], because it was built on rock. 26 Everyone who hears my words and does not ·obey [act on; practice] them is like a ·foolish [stupid] man who built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the ·floods came [rivers rose], and the winds blew and ·hit [beat; slammed against] that house, and it ·fell [collapsed] with a big crash.”
28 When Jesus finished ·saying these things [L these words; C the end of the first of five major discourses in Matthew, all of which conclude with a similar phrase; see also 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1], the ·people [crowds] were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he did not teach like their ·teachers of the law [scribes]. He taught like a person who had authority.
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