Matthew 7

1 “Do not [refrain from, cease] judge [condemn, form an opinion], or [lest, so that] you will be judged [evaluated, condemned, punished]. word study 2 For with the same [type of, manner of] judgment [decision, verdict] you pronounce [declare, condemn], you will be judged [evaluated, condemned]; and with the measure [standard, amount] you use [apply, mete out], it will be measured [portioned out, repaid] to you [in return, as a consequence]. word study 3 Why do you look at the [small, insignificant] speck [a grain of dust, a tiny flaw] in your brother’s [fellow Christian, male sibling] eye, but fail to notice [do not consider, overlook] the [large, substantial] beam [a wooden plank, a significant fault] in your own [personal, belonging to you] eye? word study 4 How can you say [or will you say] to your brother [fellow Christian, male sibling], ‘Let me take [remove, cast out] the speck [small twig, minor fault] out of your eye [vision, sight],’ while there is still a beam [plank, large obstacle] in your own eye [vision, sight, spiritual perception]? word study 5 You hypocrite [false one, being insincere]! First [before all else, in the first place] take the beam [plank, large wooden piece] out of your own eye [your own vision, spiritual sight], and then [at that time, afterwards] you will see clearly [with full vision, perceive things spiritually] to remove the speck [small twig, tiny fault] from your brother’s [fellow Christian, male sibling] eye [his vision, spiritual sight]. word study 6 Do not give [that which is set apart, holy things] dogs [worthless creatures, those who despise God] what is holy; do not throw your pearls [valuable treasures, spiritual truths] before swine [unclean animals, those who reject God’s truth]. If you do, they may trample them under their feet [tread down, reject with disdain], and then turn [change direction, become hostile] and tear you to pieces [rend, violently attack]. word study 7 Ask [make a request, seek an answer], and it will be given [bestowed, granted] to you; seek [look for, try to find], and you will find [discover, meet]; knock [rap, strike], and the door [a barrier, an entrance] will be opened [made accessible] to you. word study 8 For everyone [all people, every individual] who asks [requests, seeks from God] receives [is given, obtains]; he who seeks [looks for, searches diligently] finds [discovers, meets with]; and to him who knocks [raps, strikes the door], the door [the way, the opportunity] will be opened [made accessible, revealed]. word study 9 Which [what man is there of you] of you, if his son [child, offspring] asks [requests, petitions] for bread [food, sustenance], will give [deliver, provide] him a stone [rock, stumbling block]? word study 10 Or if he asks [requests, inquires of] for a fish [a type of seafood], will give [deliver, provide] him a snake [ophin, a symbol of sly cunning or malice]? word study 11 So if you [being evil, having a sinful nature] who are evil know how to give [bestow, provide] good [beneficial, morally excellent] gifts to your children, how much more [to a greater extent, abundantly] will your Father [the heavenly Parent, divine Creator] in heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s dwelling place] give good [excellent, desirable] things to those who ask [request, petition] Him! word study 12 In everything [all matters, every situation], then, do to others [treat people, act toward men] as you would have them [desire, wish] do to you [treat you, act toward you]. For this [this principle, this teaching] is the essence [the sum, the heart] of the Law [Moses’ law, God’s commandments] and the Prophets [God’s messengers, the prophetic writings]. word study 13 Enter [go in by, pass through] through the narrow [tight, restricted] gate [entrance, doorway]. For wide [broad, spacious] is the gate [entrance, doorway] and broad [spacious, expansive] is the way [road, path] that leads [takes, guides] to destruction [perdition, ruin], and many [a large number, numerous] enter [go in, come in] through it [that way, by it]. word study 14 But small [narrow, strait] is the gate [entrance, pathway] and narrow [restricted, difficult] the way [road, path] that leads [to lead away, to guide] to life [physical and spiritual existence, eternal life], and only a few [little, small in number] find [to discover, to meet] it [the way, the path]. word study 15 Beware [be cautious, watch out] of false [deceptive, untrue] prophets [those claiming to speak for God]. They come [approach, draw near] to you [toward yourselves] in sheep’s [gentle, harmless] clothing [outer appearance], but inwardly [from the inside out] they are [exist as] ravenous [hungry, predatory] wolves [ferocious, dangerous]. word study 16 By their fruit [the product of their actions, spiritual results] you will recognize [come to know, understand deeply] them. Are grapes [clusters of ripe fruit] gathered from thornbushes [prickly plants, worthless vegetation], or figs [a type of fruit] from thistles [thorny weeds, unfruitful growth]? word study 17 Likewise [in this manner, thus], every good [beneficial, morally upright] tree [a plant with a trunk and branches] bears [produces, yields] good [virtuous, excellent] fruit [the result of one’s actions], but a bad [corrupt, rotten] tree [producing evil] bears [brings forth] bad [evil, worthless] fruit [the product of sinful actions]. word study 18 A good [morally upright, beneficial] tree cannot bear [produce, yield] bad [evil, worthless] fruit, and a bad [corrupt, rotten] tree cannot bear [bring forth, give] good [morally good, fair] fruit. word study 19 Every [all, each one] tree [a plant with a trunk and branches] that does not [is unable to, fails to] bear [produce, yield] good [fair, beautiful] fruit [the product of something, like a tree or a person’s actions] is cut down [hewn down, chopped down] and thrown [cast, tossed] into the fire [flames]. word study 20 So then [therefore, as a result], by their fruit [the product of their actions, what they produce] you will recognize [come to know, understand] them [their true nature, who they really are]. word study 21 Not everyone [all people, every individual] who says to Me, ‘Lord [master], Lord,’ will enter [come into, be admitted to] the kingdom [reign, dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place], but only he who does [obeys, fulfills] the will [desire, intention] of My Father [the one who gives life] in [within, among] heaven [the spiritual realm]. word study 22 Many [a great multitude] will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord [Master, God], Lord, did we not prophesy [speak under God’s inspiration] in Your name [character and authority], and in Your name drive out [expel, cast away] demons [evil spirits] and perform [do, accomplish] many [numerous, abundant] miracles [mighty works, signs and wonders]?’ word study 23 Then [at that specific point in time] I will tell them plainly [openly, without hesitation], ‘I never [at no time, not even once] knew [recognized, understood] you; depart [leave, go away] from Me [away from my presence], you workers [those who practice, laborers] of lawlessness [iniquity, wickedness]!’ word study 24 Therefore [then, as a consequence] everyone who hears [listens and understands, gives attention to] these words [messages, teachings] of Mine [from me, spoken by me] and acts [obeys, puts into practice] on them is like [similar to, comparable to] a wise [thoughtful, discerning] man who built [constructed, established] his house [home, dwelling] on [upon, founded on] the rock [a foundation of strength, a solid base]. word study 25 The rain [heavy downpour, storm] fell, the torrents [floods, rushing streams] raged, and the winds [strong gusts, blasts] blew and beat [struck, pounded] against that house [dwelling, home]; yet it did not fall [collapse, crumble], because its foundation [base, footing] was on the rock [solid stone, unshakeable foundation]. word study 26 But everyone [all people, every individual] who hears [listens and understands, to hear with the inner ear] these words [messages, teachings] of Mine [from me, spoken by me] and does not act on them [obey, put into practice] is like a foolish [senseless, without wisdom] man [person, human being] who built [constructed, established] his house [home, dwelling] on sand [shifting ground, unstable foundation]. word study 27 The rain [heavy downpour, storm] fell, the torrents [floods, rushing waters] raged, and the winds [strong gusts, gales] blew and beat [struck, pounded] against that house [dwelling, building], and it fell [collapsed, came crashing down]—and great [intense, severe] was its collapse [downfall, ruin]!” word study 28 When Jesus [the Messiah, God’s salvation] had finished [completed, fulfilled] saying these things [words, teachings], the crowds [multitudes, large groups of people] were astonished [amazed, struck with wonder] at His teaching [doctrine, instruction, divine guidance], word study 29 because He taught [as one having authority, with power] as one who had [spiritual, divine] authority, and not [in the manner of, like] as their [Jewish, scripture] scribes. word study