NET Bible | New Living Translation |
1"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. | 1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. |
2For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. | 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. |
3Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? | 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? |
4Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye,' while there is a beam in your own? | 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? |
5You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. | 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. |
6Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. | 6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. Effective Prayer |
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. | 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. |
8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. | 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. |
9Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? | 9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? |
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? | 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! |
11If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! | 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. The Golden Rule |
12In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets. | 12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. The Narrow Gate |
13"Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. | 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. |
14But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it. | 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. The Tree and Its Fruit |
15"Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. | 15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. |
16You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? | 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? |
17In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. | 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. |
18A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. | 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. |
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. |
20So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. | 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. True Disciples |
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven--only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. | 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. |
22On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?' | 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ |
23Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!' | 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Building on a Solid Foundation |
24"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. | 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. |
25The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. | 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. |
26Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. | 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. |
27The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!" | 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” |
28When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, | 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, |
29because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law. | 29for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. |
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