Matthew 7

1 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged; 2 for with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam in your own eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look — the beam is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls in front of the pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, and turn and tear you apart. [a]

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what person is there among you whose son will ask him for bread — will he hand him a stone? 10 Or he will ask for a fish — will he hand him a snake? 11 So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask him.

12 “So everything, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them; for this is the law and the prophets.

13 “Go in through the narrow gate; because wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads away to destruction, and many are those going in through it; 14 because narrow is the gate and hemmed in is the road that leads away to life, and few are those who find it. [b]

15 “Watch out for the false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep but inside are ravening wolves. 16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way every good tree produces good fruits, but the rotten tree produces evil fruits. 18 A good tree cannot produce evil fruits, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruits. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [c] 20 So then, by their fruits you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will go into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in the heavens. † 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name throw out demons, and in your name do many works of power?’ [d] 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you who practice lawlessness.’ [e]

24 “So everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and fell against that house, and it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell — and its fall was great.”

28 And when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astounded at his teaching; [f] 29 for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.