Matthew 7 – Do Not Cast Pearls Before Swine – The Gospels

Book of Matthew OnlineDo not judge, that you may not be judged. 2 For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the measure that you mete will be meted out to you. 3 And why do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, while you pay no attention at all to the beam in yours? 4 How will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take out the straw from your eye,’ when all the time there is a beam in your own? 5 Hypocrite! Take out the beam from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly how to take out the straw from your brother’s and sister’s.

6 Do not give what is sacred to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they should trample them under their feet, and then turn and attack you. 7 Ask, and your prayer shall be granted; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. 8 For those who ask receive, those that search find, and to those who knock the door shall be opened.

9 Who among you, when your child asks you for a loaf, will give them a stone, 10 Or when they asks for a fish, will give them a snake? 11 If you, then, wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those that ask him!

12 Do to others whatever you would wish them do to you; for that is the teaching of both the law and the prophets. 13 Go in by the small gate. Broad and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and those that go in by it are many; 14 For small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to Life, and those that find it are few.

15 Beware of false teachers: those who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves. 16 By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a worthless tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that fails to bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Hence it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such teachers.

21 Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.1 22 On that day many will say to me: ‘Lord, Lord, was not it in your name that we taught, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many miracles?’ 23 And then I shall say to them plainly: ‘I never knew you. Go from my presence, you who live in sin.’

24 Everyone, therefore, that listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it may be compared to a wise homeowner, who built their house upon rock. 25 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for its foundation was upon rock. 26 And everyone that listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it may be compared to a foolish one, who built their house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell; and great was its downfall.”

28 By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching. 29 For he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their teachers of the law.

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To read Chapter 8 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: Dead Bury Their Dead.

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  1. For Biblical commentary on this Gospel of Matthew passage about who will enter the kingdom of heaven, go to: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. []


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