2 ARST { I say that} because God will harshly criticize you in the same way that you harshly criticize others. In fact, God will treat you in the same way that you treat others. BSB BSB: For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 ARST { None of you should concentrate on the small faults of another person. You should concentrate on your own serious faults.} Otherwise, that would be like noticing a speck in the eye of that person while not noticing a huge wooden plank in your own eye. BSB BSB: Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
4 ARST You should not tell another believer,‘Let me help you correct your faults,’ while you have not yet dealt with your own faults. BSB BSB: 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?
5 ARST If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first{ stop committing your own sins. That will be like} removing a large plank from your own eye. Then, as a result, you will have the spiritual insight you need to help others get rid of the{ smaller faults that are like} little specks in their eyes. BSB BSB: 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.
6 ARST { Apply this saying to how you live:} do not present sacred things to dogs, and do not put valuable things in front of pigs.{ I say that} because the pigs will crush your valuable things, and the dogs will destroy the sacred things and then attack you. BSB BSB: 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.
7 ARST Keep asking{ God for the things you need}, and he will give them to you. Keep seeking{ those things from God}, and you will receive them. Ask God to make things possible for you, and he will act on your behalf. BSB BSB: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8 ARST { You should do those things} because everyone who keeps asking{ God for the things they need} will receive them. Everyone who seeks{ those things from God} will receive them. If people ask God to make things possible for them, God will act on their behalf. BSB BSB: For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 ARST Suppose one of you had a child who asked you for bread{ to eat}. You certainly would not give your child a rock{ to eat}! BSB BSB: Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 ARST Similarly, suppose that your child asked you for a fish{ to eat}. You certainly would not give your child a poisonous snake{ to eat}! BSB BSB: Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11 ARST So, even though you people are sinful, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. Therefore, it is even more certain that God your Father, who rules from heaven, will give good things to those who ask him. BSB BSB: 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!
12 ARST In conclusion, in whatever way you want others to act toward you, that is the way you should act toward them. Then, you will be doing what it says in all the parts of the Scriptures. BSB BSB: 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.
13 ARST { When you choose how to live, you are like a traveler choosing which path to take.} There is an easy path and a large gate, and many people go that way. However, if you go that way, God will punish you. There is also a hard path and a small gate, and only a few people go that way. You should use that small gate, because that is how you will truly live. BSB BSB: Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
15 ARST Watch out for people who lie when they claim to speak messages from God. They may look like they are part of God’ s people, but really they want to hurt God’ s people. BSB BSB: Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
17 ARST Similarly, all healthy fruit trees produce fruit that is good to eat. All unhealthy fruit trees produce fruit that is bad to eat. BSB BSB: Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 ARST Healthy fruit trees cannot produce fruit that is bad to eat. Unhealthy fruit trees cannot produce fruit that is good to eat. BSB BSB: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 ARST People chop down every tree that does not produce fruit that is good to eat. Then, they burn those trees{ for fuel}.{ In the same way, God will punish everyone who does not do what is right.} BSB BSB: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 ARST Therefore, you can tell if a plant is healthy or unhealthy by what kind of fruit it produces. In the same way, you can tell what people are really like by the things that they do. BSB BSB: So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
22 ARST On the day when God will judge everyone, many people will tell me,‘Our Lord, we represented you when we proclaimed what God says! We represented you when we drove evil spiritual beings out of people! We represented you when we did many powerful things!’ BSB BSB: 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?’
23 ARST I will then respond to them,‘You were never part of my people. You do what is wrong. Leave me!’ BSB BSB: Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
24 ARST So, all people who hear my teachings and obey them are acting as wise people who construct their homes on top of solid rock. BSB BSB: Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 ARST There may be heavy rain, and there may be floods, and there may be strong winds that buffet those homes. However, they will not collapse. That is because the wise people constructed them on top of solid rock. BSB BSB: 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.
26 ARST However, all people who hear my teachings and do not obey them are like foolish people who construct their homes on top of shifting sand. BSB BSB: 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.
27 ARST There may be heavy rain, and there may be floods, and there may be strong winds that buffet those homes. Then, they will collapse completely.” BSB BSB: The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”
28 ARST When Jesus finished teaching, the large groups of people{ who had listened to him} felt amazed at the way he taught. BSB BSB: When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,
29 ARST { They felt amazed} because he did not teach as the teachers of the Jewish law did. Rather, he taught them like someone whom God had authorized to do so. BSB BSB: because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.