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.