^7:7“Ask⁹ and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door¹⁰ will be opened for you. ^7:8For everyone who asks¹¹ receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ^7:9Is¹² there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ^7:10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?¹³^7:11If you then, although you are evil,¹⁴ know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts¹⁵ to those who ask him! ^7:12In¹⁶ everything, treat others as you would want them¹⁷ to treat you,¹⁸ for this fulfills¹⁹ the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

^7:13“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ^7:14But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Read in Logos

Matthew 7:12: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Footnotes

9 The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask … seek … knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
10 Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.
11 The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
12 Grk “Or is there.”
13 The two questions of vv. 9–10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
14 The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
15 The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.
16 Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
17 This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos), referring to both males and females.
18 Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.
19 Grk “is.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are 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!

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

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, 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. Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone? Or also if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? Therefore if you, although you are 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? Therefore in all things, whatever you want that people should do to you, thus also you do to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, because narrow is the gate and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it!

KJV 1900King James Version

Ask, 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. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Public Domain