Matthew 7:16–29

¹⁶“You will ^1aknow them by their fruits. ²Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

¹⁷“Even so, ^aevery good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

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

¹⁹“^aEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

²⁰“So then, you will ¹know them ^aby their fruits.

²¹“^aNot everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

²²“^aMany will say to Me on ^bthat day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many ¹miracles?’

²³“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; ^adepart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

²⁴“Therefore ^aeveryone who hears these words of Mine and does them, ¹may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

²⁵“And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

²⁶“And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

²⁷“And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

^281aNow it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, ^bthe crowds were astonished at His teaching;

²⁹for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.