Don’t Be Judgmental of Others. But Use Discernment In Your Actions Toward Others
7 “Do not be judging[a], in order that you may not be judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 And why do you look-at the speck in the eye of your brother, but do not consider[b] the log in your eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Permit me to take out the speck from your eye’, and behold— the log is in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take out the log from your eye, and then you will see-clearly to take out the speck from the eye of your brother. 6 Do not give the holy thing to the dogs[c], nor throw your pearls in front of the pigs, so that they will not perhaps trample them with their feet, and having turned, tear you to pieces.
Keep Pursuing What You Need From God. He Will Give You Good Things
7 “Be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened. 9 Or what person is there from-among you whom his son will ask-for bread— he will not give him a stone[d], will he? 10 Or indeed he will ask-for a fish— he will not give him a snake[e], will he? 11 Therefore if you, being evil, know-how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to the ones asking Him!
Treat Others As You Yourself Want To Be Treated
12 “Therefore, everything that you want[f] people to be doing to you, thus also you be doing to them. For this is the Law and the Prophets.
Enter God’s Kingdom Through The Narrow Gate, Which Is Found By Few
13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad[g] is the road leading-away to destruction— and many are the ones entering through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and constricted[h] is the road leading-away to life— and few are the ones finding it.
Beware of False Prophets. The Nature of What They Produce Will Reveal Them
15 “Beware of the false-prophets— who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inside are ravenous[i] wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. They do not collect grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Thus, every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad[j] fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor is a bad tree able to produce good[k] fruit. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So indeed, you will know them by their fruits.
Not Everyone Talking About God Knows Him. Only Those Doing His Will Enter His Kingdom
21 “Not everyone saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of My Father in the heavens. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast-out demons in Your name, and do many miracles[l] in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare[m] to them that ‘I never knew[n] you. Depart from Me, ones working lawlessness’. 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise[o] man who built his house upon the bed-rock. 25 And the rain came down, and the rivers[p] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling[q] of it was great”.
The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action
28 And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded[r] at His teaching. 29 For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.
Footnotes
- Matthew 7:1 That is, in the sense of finding fault with, criticizing, passing judgment on.
- Matthew 7:3 Or, notice, perceive.
- Matthew 7:6 That is, unholy persons, God-rejecters, as in Rev 22:15. This statement balances v 1 and 3, since this requires a proper kind of judging.
- Matthew 7:9 That is, something useless.
- Matthew 7:10 That is, something harmful.
- Matthew 7:12 Or, wish, desire, intend.
- Matthew 7:13 Or, spacious, roomy.
- Matthew 7:14 Or, pressed in, compressed.
- Matthew 7:15 Or, thieving, vicious.
- Matthew 7:17 good ... good... bad... bad. Two different words are used for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ here. Jesus may mean every ‘beneficial’ type of tree (like a fruit tree) produces fruit ‘fit’ to eat, but every ‘unusable’ type of tree produces ‘useless’ fruit or none at all. Or, He may mean every ‘good’ fruit tree produces ‘healthy’ fruit, but the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produces ‘bad’ fruit or none at all.
- Matthew 7:18 good... bad... bad... good. That is, the ‘beneficial’ type of tree cannot produce ‘useless’ fruit, nor the ‘unusable’ tree fruit ‘fit’ to eat; or, the ‘good’ fruit tree cannot produce ‘bad’ fruit, nor can the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produce ‘healthy’ fruit.
- Matthew 7:22 Or, works of power.
- Matthew 7:23 Or. confess.
- Matthew 7:23 That is, as one of My family.
- Matthew 7:24 Or, prudent, sensible.
- Matthew 7:25 That is, rivers of flood waters.
- Matthew 7:27 Or, collapse, downfall.
- Matthew 7:28 Or, overwhelmed, amazed, astonished.