Matthew · Bible in Basic English
Matthew 7 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 Be not judges of others, and you will not be judged.
1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
1 Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε·
2 For as you have been judging, so you will be judged, and with your measure will it be measured to you.
2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
2 ἐν ᾧ γὰρ κρίματι κρίνετε κριθήσεσθε, καὶ ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.
3 And why do you take note of the grain of dust in your brother's eye, but take no note of the bit of wood which is in your eye?
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
3 τί δὲ βλέπεις τὸ κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ δοκὸν οὐ κατανοεῖς;
4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me take out the grain of dust from your eye, when you yourself have a bit of wood in your eye?
4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
4 ἢ πῶς ἐρεῖς τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, ἄφες ἐκβάλω τὸ κάρφος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σου, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ δοκὸς ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ σου;
5 You false one, first take out the bit of wood from your eye, then will you see clearly to take out the grain of dust from your brother's eye.
5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
5 ὑποκριτά, ἔκβαλε πρῶτον τὴν δοκὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σου, καὶ τότε διαβλέψεις ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ κάρφος ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου.
6 Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, or put your jewels before pigs, for fear that they will be crushed under foot by the pigs whose attack will then be made against you.
6 “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
6 Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσὶ μηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων, μήποτε καταπατήσωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑμᾶς.
7 Make a request, and it will be answered; what you are searching for you will get; give the sign, and the door will be open to you:
7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
7 Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε, κρούετε, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν·
8 Because to everyone who makes a request, it will be given; and he who is searching will get his desire, and to him who gives the sign, the door will be open.
8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
8 πᾶς γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει καὶ τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται.
9 Or which of you, if his son makes a request for bread, will give him a stone?
9 Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
9 ἢ τίς ἐστιν ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἐὰν αἰτήσῃ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἄρτον, μὴ λίθον ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ;
10 Or if he makes a request for a fish, will give him a snake?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
10 καὶ ἐὰν ἰχθὺν αἰτήσῃ, μὴ ὄφιν ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ;
11 If you, then, being evil, are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who make requests to him?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
11 εἰ οὖν ὑμεῖς, πονηροὶ ὄντες, οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν;
12 All those things, then, which you would have men do to you, even so do you to them: because this is the law and the prophets.
12 Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
12 Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν θέλητε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς· οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται.
13 Go in by the narrow door; for wide is the door and open is the way which goes to destruction, and great numbers go in by it.
13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it.
13 Εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι᾽ αὐτῆς.
14 For narrow is the door and hard the road to life, and only a small number make discovery of it.
14 How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
14 τί στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν!
15 Be on the watch for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are cruel wolves.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
15 Προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες.
16 By their fruits you will get knowledge of them. Do men get grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?
16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?
16 ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. μήτι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὴν ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα;
17 Even so, every good tree gives good fruit; but the bad tree gives evil fruit.
17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
17 οὕτω πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ.
18 It is not possible for a good tree to give bad fruit, and a bad tree will not give good fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
18 οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν, οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν.
19 Every tree which does not give good fruit is cut down and put in the fire.
19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
19 πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.
20 So by their fruits you will get knowledge of them.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
20 ἄραγε ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς.
21 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will go into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the pleasure of my Father in heaven.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
21 Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι Κύριε Κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
22 A great number will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, were we not prophets in your name, and did we not by your name send out evil spirits, and by your name do works of power?
22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’
22 πολλοὶ ἐροῦσί μοι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· Κύριε Κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προεφητεύσαμεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν;
23 And then will I say to them, I never had knowledge of you: go from me, you workers of evil.
23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
23 καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς· ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν.
24 Everyone, then, to whom my words come and who does them, will be like a wise man who made his house on a rock;
24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
24 Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἀκούει μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτούς, ὁμοιώσω αὐτὸν ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν·
25 And the rain came down and there was a rush of waters and the winds were driving against that house, but it was not moved; because it was based on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
25 καὶ κατέβη ἡ βροχὴ καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταμοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι καὶ προσέπεσον τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἔπεσε· τεθεμελίωτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν.
26 And everyone to whom my words come and who does them not, will be like a foolish man who made his house on sand;
26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
26 καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀκούων μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ μὴ ποιῶν αὐτοὺς ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ μωρῷ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον·
27 And the rain came down and there was a rush of waters and the winds were driving against that house; and it came down and great was its fall.
27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”
27 καὶ κατέβη ἡ βροχὴ καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταμοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι καὶ προσέκοψαν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔπεσε, καὶ ἦν ἡ πτῶσις αὐτῆς μεγάλη.
28 And it came about, when Jesus had come to the end of these words, that the people were surprised at his teaching,
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,
28 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε συνετέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐξεπλήσσοντο οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ·
29 for he was teaching as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
29 ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς.
Cross references (27)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 6:37; Romans 2:1–2; James 4:11–12; Luke 6:41; Romans 14:10–13
- 2 James 2:13; Mark 4:24; Obadiah 15; Luke 6:38; Psalm 18:25–26
- 3 John 8:7–9; Galatians 6:1; Luke 6:41–42; 2 Samuel 12:5–6; Luke 18:11
- 5 Luke 6:42; Psalm 51:9–13; Matthew 23:13–28; Luke 13:15; Luke 4:23
- 6 Proverbs 9:7–8; Proverbs 23:9; Matthew 10:14–15; Proverbs 26:11; Matthew 15:26
- 7 Matthew 21:22; 1 John 3:22; John 15:7; Mark 11:24; Psalm 145:18–19
- 8 Psalm 81:10; Psalm 81:16; Luke 23:42–43; Matthew 15:22–28; Acts 9:11
- 9 Luke 11:11–13
- 11 Luke 11:11–13; James 1:17; Romans 8:32; Psalm 84:11; Isaiah 49:15
- 12 Luke 6:31; Romans 13:8–10; Galatians 5:13–14; Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:29–34
- 13 Luke 13:24–25; Proverbs 16:25; John 14:6; John 10:9; Isaiah 55:7
- 14 Luke 13:23–30; Matthew 22:14; Matthew 16:24–25; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 35:8
- 15 1 John 4:1; Matthew 24:11; 2 Peter 2:1–3; Acts 20:29–31; Mark 13:22–23
- 16 Luke 6:43–45; James 3:12; Matthew 12:33; Matthew 7:20; 2 Peter 2:10–18
- 17 Matthew 12:33–35; Galatians 5:22–24; Ephesians 5:9; Psalm 1:3; Colossians 1:10
- 18 Galatians 5:17; 1 John 3:9–10
- 19 Matthew 3:10; John 15:2–6; Luke 3:9; Hebrews 6:8; Luke 13:6–9
- 20 Matthew 7:16
- 21 Romans 2:13; Luke 6:46; James 1:22; Luke 11:28; Titus 1:16
- 22 Luke 13:25–27; 1 Corinthians 13:1–2; Malachi 3:17–18; Hebrews 6:4–6; Acts 19:13–15
- 23 Matthew 25:41; Psalm 6:8; Luke 13:27; Luke 13:25; Matthew 25:12
- 24 Luke 6:47–49; John 13:17; Luke 11:28; 1 Corinthians 3:10–11; James 2:17–26
- 25 James 1:12; Psalm 125:1–2; 1 Peter 1:7; Colossians 2:7; 1 Peter 1:5
- 26 Jeremiah 8:9; Luke 6:49; James 2:20; Proverbs 14:1; 1 Samuel 2:30
- 27 Matthew 13:19–22; 1 Corinthians 3:13; 2 Peter 2:20–22; Hebrews 10:26–31; Matthew 12:43–45
- 28 Luke 4:32; Mark 1:22; John 7:46; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:22
- 29 Hebrews 4:12–13; Isaiah 50:4; Luke 20:8; Luke 20:46–47; Deuteronomy 18:18–19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
In the lesson of the Holy Gospel the Lord hath exhorted us to prayer. "Ask," saith He, "and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
What then? Ought we not to blame them that sin? Because Paul also saith this selfsame thing: or rather, there too it is Christ, speaking by Paul, and saying, "Why dost thou judge thy brother?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; "not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing," or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: "Judge not, that ye be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; …
It was, [they affirm,] concerning these that the Lord said, "Seek, and ye shall find," that is, that they should inquire how Nous and Aletheia proceeded from Bythus and Sage; whether Logos and Zoe again derive their origin from these and then, whether Anthropos and Ecclesia proceed from Logos and Zoe.
or how shall they believe without a preacher?" And those who seek the Lord shall praise Him. For those who seek shall find Him, and those who find Him shall praise Him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)