Matthew 7-9

New International Version

Judging Others^(A)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.^{(B) 2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^(C)

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(D)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you;^(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;^(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts^(G) to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,^(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.^(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets.^(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.^{(L) 16} By their fruit you will recognize them.^(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?^{(N) 17} Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.^{(O) 19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(P) 20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{(S) 22} Many will say to me on that day,^(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’^{(U) 23} Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’^(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(W)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice^(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,^{(Z) 29} because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(AA)

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a](AB) came and knelt before him^(AC) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.^(AD) But go, show yourself to the priest^(AE) and offer the gift Moses commanded,^(AF) as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion^(AG)

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,^(AH) suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(AI) 9} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.^{(AJ) 11} I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,^(AK) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(AL) 12} But the subjects of the kingdom^(AM) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^(AN)

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”^(AO) And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many^(AP)

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

¹⁶ When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.^{(AQ) 17} This was to fulfill^(AR) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

The Cost of Following Jesus^(AT)

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.^{(AU) 19} Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(AV) has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me,^(AW) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm^(AX)(AY)

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith,^(AZ) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.^(BA)

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men^(BB)

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,^[c] two demon-possessed^(BC) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us,^(BD) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”^(BE)

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.^(BF)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man^(BG)

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.^{(BH) 2} Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,^(BI) lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith,^(BJ) he said to the man, “Take heart,^(BK) son; your sins are forgiven.”^(BL)

³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”^(BM)

⁴ Knowing their thoughts,^(BN) Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(BO) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,^(BP) who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew^(BQ)

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”^(BR) he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(BS)

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[d](BT) For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^(BU)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(BV)

¹⁴ Then John’s^(BW) disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,^(BX) but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?^(BY) The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.^(BZ)

¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman^(CA)

¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him^(CB) and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her,^(CC) and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.^{(CD) 21} She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart,^(CE) daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”^(CF) And the woman was healed at that moment.^(CG)

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,^{(CH) 24} he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead^(CI) but asleep.”^(CJ) But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.^{(CK) 26} News of this spread through all that region.^(CL)

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”^(CM)

²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.^(CN)

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;^{(CO) 30} and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”^{(CP) 31} But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.^(CQ)

³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed^(CR) and could not talk^(CS) was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”^(CT)

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”^(CU)

The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.^{(CV) 36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,^(CW) because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.^{(CX) 37} Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest^(CY) is plentiful but the workers are few.^{(CZ) 38} Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”