1 D o not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 F or just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3 W hy do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4 O r how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?

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 Y ou hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother’s eye.

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 D o not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.

“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

7 K eep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and will be opened to you.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 F or everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, will be opened.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9 O r what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 O r if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?

Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 I f you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

If you then, 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 S o then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. The Narrow Way

13 E nter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.

“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 B ut the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 B eware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 Y ou will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 E ven so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit '> worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19 E very tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 T herefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.

Therefore by their fruits you will know them. I Never Knew You

21 N ot everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 M any will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 A nd then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly.

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Build on the Rock

24 S o everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.

“Therefore 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 A nd the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

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 A nd everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.

“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 A nd the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it.

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 W hen Jesus had finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His teaching,

And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

29 F or He was teaching as One Who had authority, and not as the scribes.

for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.