Matthew 7 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Don't judge other people, or you'll be judged the same way.

Because the standard you use to judge others is the exact standard that will be used on you. And the measuring stick you use for others will be used to measure you.

Why do you stare at the speck in your brother's eye but completely ignore the plank sticking out of your own?

How can you say to your brother, 'Here, let me get that speck out of your eye,' when there's a plank in your own eye the whole time?

Hypocrite! First get the plank out of your own eye, and then you'll be able to see clearly enough to get the speck out of your brother's eye.

Don't give what is sacred to dogs, and don't throw your pearls in front of pigs. They'll just stomp all over them and then turn around and attack you.

Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you'll find it. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.

Because everyone who asks receives. Everyone who searches finds. And for everyone who knocks, the door opens.

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, would hand them a rock?

Or if they ask for a fish, would you give them a snake?

So if you -- and you're deeply flawed people -- still 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?

So here's the bottom line: treat other people the way you'd want them to treat you. That's the whole point of the Law and the Prophets.

Go in through the narrow gate. Because the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and tons of people take that path.

But the gate is narrow and the road is difficult that leads to life, and only a few people find it.

Watch out for fake prophets. They come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they're vicious wolves.

You'll recognize them by what they produce. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do you?

In the same way, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a diseased tree produces bad fruit.

A healthy tree can't produce bad fruit, and a diseased tree can't produce good fruit.

Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.

So the bottom line is: you'll recognize them by what they produce.

Not everyone who calls me 'Master, Master' will get into the kingdom of heaven -- only the person who actually does what my Father in heaven wants.

On that day, many people will say to me, 'Master, Master, didn't we speak as prophets in your name? Didn't we drive out evil forces in your name? Didn't we do incredible things in your name?'

And I will tell them straight to their faces, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you people who live in total disregard of what's right.'

So then, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise person who built their house on bedrock.

The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and slammed against that house -- but it didn't collapse, because it had its foundation on bedrock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn't put them into practice is like a foolish person who built their house on sand.

The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and slammed against that house -- and it collapsed. And its collapse was total.

When Jesus finished saying all this, the crowds were blown away by his teaching,

because he was teaching them as someone with real authority -- not like their religious scholars.