A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Matthew 7
Matthew 7 is the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and the third chapter of the Sermon on the Mount. The 29-verse chapter contains the closing teachings of the sermon, including the famous golden rule and the parable of the two builders.
The chapter opens with the command not to judge, or you too will be judged. Jesus uses the image of trying to remove a speck of sawdust from someone else's eye while having a plank in your own. First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
He then warns about giving what is sacred to dogs, or throwing pearls before pigs.
The teaching turns to prayer. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." If human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.
The famous golden rule follows: "In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the Law and the Prophets."
Jesus then describes two ways. The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and few find it. The gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. He warns about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. They are known by their fruits.
Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of the Father. On that day many will protest that they prophesied in his name, but he will tell them: "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness."
The chapter closes with the parable of the two builders. Whoever hears Jesus's words and acts on them is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. Whoever hears them and does not act is like a foolish man who builds on sand. When the rain and floods come, the house on sand falls with a great crash. The crowds are amazed at his teaching, because he teaches as one with authority, not like their scribes.
Verse 1. “Do not judge, or you will be judged.
Verse 2. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Verse 3. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
Verse 4. How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?
Verse 5. You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Verse 6. Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Verse 7. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Verse 8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Verse 9. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Verse 10. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Verse 11. So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Verse 12. In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
Verse 13. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
Verse 14. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Verse 15. Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Verse 16. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Verse 17. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Verse 18. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Verse 19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Verse 20. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Verse 21. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Verse 22. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Verse 23. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Verse 24. Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Verse 25. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
Verse 26. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
Verse 27. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”
Verse 28. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,
Verse 29. because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
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