Judging Others

71 Judge not, that ye may not be judged; 2 for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you. 3 But why lookest thou on the mote that is in the eye of thy brother, but observest not the beam that is in thine eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Allow [me], I will cast out the mote from thine eye; and behold, the beam is in thine eye? 5 Hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine eye, and then thou wilt see clearly to cast out the mote out of the eye of thy brother. 6 Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turning round rend you.

Ask, Seek, Knock

7 Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you who, if his son shall ask of him a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; 10 and if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If therefore ye, being wicked, know [how] to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall your Father who is in the heavens give good things to them that ask of him?

12 Therefore all things whatever ye desire that men should do to you, thus do ye also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13 Enter in through the narrow gate, for wide the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction, and many are they who enter in through it. 14 For narrow the gate and straitened the way that leads to life, and they are few who find it.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

15 But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves. 16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do [men] gather a bunch of grapes from thorns, or from thistles figs? 17 So every good tree produces good fruits, but the worthless tree produces bad fruits. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor a worthless tree produce good fruits. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 20 By their fruits then surely ye shall know them.

I Never Knew You

21 Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that does the will of my Father who is in the heavens. 22 Many shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied through thy name, and through thy name cast out demons, and through thy name done many works of power? 23 and then will I avow unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, workers of lawlessness.

The Two Foundations

24 Whoever therefore hears these my words and does them, I will liken him to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain came down, and the streams came, and the winds blew and fell upon that house, and it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. 26 And every one who hears these my words and does not do them, he shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; 27 and the rain came down, and the streams came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and its fall was great. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his doctrine, 29 for he taught them as having authority, and not as their scribes.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

31 Now in those days comes John the baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh. 3 For this is he who has been spoken of through Esaias the prophet, saying, Voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of [the] Lord, make straight his paths. 4 And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the country round the Jordan, 6 and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance. 9 And do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for [our] father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; he shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire; 12 whose winnowing fan [is] in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised of him; 14 but John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me? 15 But Jesus answering said to him, Suffer [it] now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffers him. 16 And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him: 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.