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

“Do not say what is wrong in other people’s lives. Then other people will not say what is wrong in your life.

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.

You will be guilty of the same things you find in others. When you say what is wrong in others, your words will be used to say what is wrong in 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?

Why do you look at the small piece of wood in your brother’s eye, and do not see the big piece of wood 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?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that small piece of wood out of your eye,’ when there is a big piece of wood 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.

You who pretend to be someone you are not, first take the big piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you can see better to take the small piece of wood out of 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 that which belongs to God to dogs. Do not throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will break them under their feet. Then they will turn and tear you to pieces. Jesus Teaches about Prayer

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 what you are asking for will be given to you. Look, and what you are looking for you will find. Knock, and the door you are knocking on 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.

Everyone who asks receives what he asks for. Everyone who looks finds what he is looking for. Everyone who knocks has the door opened to him.

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

What man among you would give his son a stone if he should ask for bread?

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

Or if he asks for a fish, would he give him a snake?

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!

You are bad and you know how to give good things to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? Jesus Teaches about Others

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.

“Do for other people whatever you would like to have them do for you. This is what the Jewish Law and the early preachers said. Jesus Teaches about Two Roads

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.

“Go in through the narrow door. The door is wide and the road is easy that leads to hell. Many people are going through that door.

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.

But the door is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life that lasts forever. Few people are finding it. Jesus Teaches about False Teachers

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

“Watch out for false teachers. They come to you dressed as if they were sheep. On the inside they are hungry 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 fruit. Do men pick grapes from thorns? Do men pick 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.

It is true, every good tree has good fruit. Every bad tree has 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 have bad fruit. A bad tree cannot have 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 have good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

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

So you will know them by their fruit.

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,’ will go into the holy nation of heaven. The one who does the things My Father in heaven wants him to do will go into the holy nation of 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 people will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not preach in Your Name? Did we not put out demons in Your Name? Did we not do many powerful works 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.

Then I will say to them in plain words, ‘I never knew you. Go away from Me, you who do wrong!’ Jesus Teaches about Houses Built on Rock or Sand

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.

“Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on 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.

The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house did not fall because it was built on 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.

Whoever hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on 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.

The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house fell and broke apart.”

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

Then Jesus finished talking. The people were surprised and wondered about His teaching.

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

He was teaching them as One Who has the right and the power to teach. He did not teach as the teachers of the Law.