Matthew 7
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Don’t Be Judgmental of Others. But Use Discernment In Your Actions Toward Others
7 “Do not be judging[a], in order that you may not be judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 And why do you look-at the speck in the eye of your brother, but do not consider[b] the log in your eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Permit me to take out the speck from your eye’, and behold— the log is in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take out the log from your eye, and then you will see-clearly to take out the speck from the eye of your brother. 6 Do not give the holy thing to the dogs[c], nor throw your pearls in front of the pigs, so that they will not perhaps trample them with their feet, and having turned, tear you to pieces.
Keep Pursuing What You Need From God. He Will Give You Good Things
7 “Be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened. 9 Or what person is there from-among you whom his son will ask-for bread— he will not give him a stone[d], will he? 10 Or indeed he will ask-for a fish— he will not give him a snake[e], will he? 11 Therefore if you, being evil, know-how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to the ones asking Him!
Treat Others As You Yourself Want To Be Treated
12 “Therefore, everything that you want[f] people to be doing to you, thus also you be doing to them. For this is the Law and the Prophets.
Enter God’s Kingdom Through The Narrow Gate, Which Is Found By Few
13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad[g] is the road leading-away to destruction— and many are the ones entering through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and constricted[h] is the road leading-away to life— and few are the ones finding it.
Beware of False Prophets. The Nature of What They Produce Will Reveal Them
15 “Beware of the false-prophets— who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inside are ravenous[i] wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. They do not collect grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Thus, every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad[j] fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor is a bad tree able to produce good[k] fruit. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So indeed, you will know them by their fruits.
Not Everyone Talking About God Knows Him. Only Those Doing His Will Enter His Kingdom
21 “Not everyone saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of My Father in the heavens. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast-out demons in Your name, and do many miracles[l] in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare[m] to them that ‘I never knew[n] you. Depart from Me, ones working lawlessness’. 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise[o] man who built his house upon the bed-rock. 25 And the rain came down, and the rivers[p] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling[q] of it was great”.
The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action
28 And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded[r] at His teaching. 29 For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.
Footnotes
- Matthew 7:1 That is, in the sense of finding fault with, criticizing, passing judgment on.
- Matthew 7:3 Or, notice, perceive.
- Matthew 7:6 That is, unholy persons, God-rejecters, as in Rev 22:15. This statement balances v 1 and 3, since this requires a proper kind of judging.
- Matthew 7:9 That is, something useless.
- Matthew 7:10 That is, something harmful.
- Matthew 7:12 Or, wish, desire, intend.
- Matthew 7:13 Or, spacious, roomy.
- Matthew 7:14 Or, pressed in, compressed.
- Matthew 7:15 Or, thieving, vicious.
- Matthew 7:17 good ... good... bad... bad. Two different words are used for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ here. Jesus may mean every ‘beneficial’ type of tree (like a fruit tree) produces fruit ‘fit’ to eat, but every ‘unusable’ type of tree produces ‘useless’ fruit or none at all. Or, He may mean every ‘good’ fruit tree produces ‘healthy’ fruit, but the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produces ‘bad’ fruit or none at all.
- Matthew 7:18 good... bad... bad... good. That is, the ‘beneficial’ type of tree cannot produce ‘useless’ fruit, nor the ‘unusable’ tree fruit ‘fit’ to eat; or, the ‘good’ fruit tree cannot produce ‘bad’ fruit, nor can the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produce ‘healthy’ fruit.
- Matthew 7:22 Or, works of power.
- Matthew 7:23 Or. confess.
- Matthew 7:23 That is, as one of My family.
- Matthew 7:24 Or, prudent, sensible.
- Matthew 7:25 That is, rivers of flood waters.
- Matthew 7:27 Or, collapse, downfall.
- Matthew 7:28 Or, overwhelmed, amazed, astonished.
Matthew 7
International Children’s Bible
Be Careful About Judging Others
7 “Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you.
3 “Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? 4 Why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5 You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.
Ask God for What You Need
7 “Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, everyone who continues asking will receive. He who continues searching will find. And he who continues knocking will have the door opened for him.
9 “What would you do if your son asks for bread? Which of you would give him a stone? 10 Or if your son asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? 11 Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.
The Most Important Rule
12 “Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.
The Way to Heaven Is Hard
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. The road that leads to hell is a very easy road. And the gate to hell is very wide. Many people enter through that gate. 14 But the gate that opens the way to true life is very small. And the road to true life is very hard. Only a few people find that road.
People Know You by Your Actions
15 “Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. 16 You will know these people because of the things they do. Good things don’t come from bad people, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes. And figs don’t come from thorny weeds. 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit. And bad trees produce bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 You will know these false prophets by what they produce.
21 “Not everyone who says ‘You are my Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants. 22 On the last day many people will say to me, ‘You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ 23 Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’
Two Kinds of People
24 “Everyone who hears these things I say and obeys them is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall, because the house was built on rock. 26 But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a big crash.”
28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at his teaching. 29 Jesus did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority.
Matthew 7
King James Version
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
