Open English Translation MAT Chapter 7

7 “Don’t judge others so that you won’t be judged yourselves, 2 [ref]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. 3 And why are you looking at the speck in the eye of another person when you have a massive lump in your own eye? 4 How could you say to them, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when the lump is still in your eye? 5 What a hypocrite! First get the lump out of your own eye and you’ll be able to see clearly so then you can help them with their eye.

6 “Don’t give special things to dogs and don’t pitch 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 Because everyone who makes requests, receives, and everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for the one knocking. 9 Which one of you who has a child that asks for something to eat 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 are making their requests to him?

12 [ref]“So in every area, whatever you’d like others to be doing for all of you, that’s how you should also be treating them.

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 are swindling wolves. 16 You’ll all 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 [ref]Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire. 20 [ref]So then, you’ll know the false teachers by observing their fruit.

21 “Not everyone who goes around calling me ‘master’ will enter the kingdom of heavens—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 [ref]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.”

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