Open English Translation MAT Chapter 7

7 “Don’t judge others, so that you won’t be judged yourselves, 2 because you’ll all be judged in the same way that you judge others. Whatever standard you use on others will be the same standard used on you.[ref] 3 And why are you looking at the speck of sawdust in another person’s eye when you have an entire board in your own eye? 4 How could you offer to get the speck out of their eye, when you still have the board in yours? 5 What a hypocrite! First get the board out of your own eye, and then you’ll be able to see clearly so that you can help them with their eye.

6 “Don’t give special things to dogs, and don’t throw pearls to pigs, because they’ll all just trample them underfoot, and then they’re just as likely to turn and attack you.

7 “Make your requests, and they’ll be given to you. Keep looking, and you’ll find it. Knock on doors, and they’ll be opened. 8 Everyone who asks for something will get something, and everyone who searches for something will find something, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. 9 If you have a child that asks for something to eat, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or if the child asked for some fish, who would give them a snake? 11 So if evil people know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your father in the heavens give good things to those who ask him?

12 “So in every area, whatever you’d like others to do for you, that’s how you people should be treating them. That’s what Mosheh’s instructions and the prophets’ writings were about.[ref]

13 “Come in through the narrow gate, because there’s a big gateway and a wide path that leads away to destruction, and lots of people go that way. 14 The gateway leading away to life is narrow, and the path has been kept narrow, and not many people find it.

15 “Watch out for false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside they’re swindling wolves. 16 You people will know who they are if you observe their fruit. Does anyone pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Similarly, every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces evil fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.[ref] 20 So then, you’ll know the false teachers by observing their fruit.[ref]

21 “Not everyone who goes around calling me ‘master’ will enter the heavenly kingdoms—only those who actually do what my father who lives in the heavens wants. 22 Many people will complain on judgement day saying, ‘Master, master, didn’t we prophesy using your name, and exorcise demons using your name, and do many miracles using your name?’ 23 Then I’ll have to tell them, ‘I don’t even know you. Go away from me, all of you whose behaviour is against God’s laws.’[ref]

24 “Therefore anyone who hears these messages of mine and puts them into practice, they can be likened to a sensible person who built their house on the rock. 25 When the rains started and the floods came and the winds blew and battered that house, it was stable because its foundation was the rock.

26 “But anyone who hears these messages of mine and doesn’t put them into practice, they can be likened to a stupid person who built their house on the sand. 27 When the rains started and the floods came and the winds blew and battered that house, it collapsed with a loud crash.”

28 When Yeshua had finished sharing all these messages, the crowds were astonished at his teaching[ref] 29 because he taught like someone who had authority, and not like their regular religious teachers.