Matthew 7:7-20

Ask, and It Will Be Given

7 ¹"Ask, ²and it will be given to you; ³seek, and you will find; ⁴knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for ⁵bread, will give him ⁶a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

11 If you then, ⁷who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ⁸your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

12 "So ⁹whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is ¹⁰the Law and the Prophets.

13 ¹¹"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy^[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

14 For the gate is narrow and ¹²the way is hard that leads to life, and ¹³those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 ¹⁴"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ¹⁵ravenous wolves.

16 You will recognize them ¹⁶by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17 So, ¹⁷every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

19 ¹⁸Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Thus you will recognize them ¹⁹by their fruits.

Cross References

• 1. For ver. 7-11, see Luke 11:9-13
• 2. Matthew 18:19; Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; John 15:7, 16; John 16:23, 24; James 1:5, 6, 17; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14, 15
• 3. 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; [Isaiah 55:6]
• 4. [Revelation 3:20]
• 5. Matthew 4:3
• 6. Matthew 4:3
• 7. Matthew 12:34; Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21
• 8. [See ver. 7 above]
• 9. Luke 6:31
• 10. See Matthew 22:40
• 11. Luke 13:24
• 12. Psalms 16:11; [Matthew 18:8; John 14:6]
• 13. [Luke 13:23]
• 14. Matthew 24:11, 24; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:16; Mark 13:22; Luke 6:26; Acts 13:6; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1
• 15. Ezekiel 22:27; Acts 20:29; [Micah 3:5; John 10:12]
• 16. Luke 6:43, 44; James 2:18
• 17. Matthew 12:33-35
• 18. See Matthew 3:10
• 19. [See ver. 16 above]

Footnotes

• [a]. Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy