Matthew Chapter Seven Poem by Day Williams

1 "Don't judge, or you too will be judged,2 for in
The same way you judge others, you'll be judged,
And with the measure that you use, it will

Be measured back to you.3 Why do you see
The sawdust speck within your brother's eye
And fail to see the plank in your own eye?

4 How can you tell your brother, ‘Let me take
The speck out of your eye, ' when all the time
A plank is in your own? 5 You hypocrite,

First take the plank out of your own eye, then
You will see clearly to remove the speck
Out of your brother's eye; 6 do not give dogs

The holy things, and do not throw your pearls
To pigs. If you do, they may trample them
Underfoot, then turn and tear you apart.

7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek
And you'll find; knock and the door will
be opened
To you,8 for everyone who asks receives;

He who seeks finds; to him who knocks, the door
Is opened.9 Which of you, if his son asks
For bread, will give a stone to him? 10 Or if

He asks for fish, would you give him a snake?
11 If you, then, though you're evil, know to give
Your children good gifts, how much more
will your

Father in heaven give good gifts to those
Who ask him! 12 So in everything, treat others
As you would have them treat you, for this is

The Law and Prophets in a nutshell.13 Go
In by the narrow gate. The gate is wide,
The road, immense, that lead to hell, and many

Enter through it,14 but narrow is the gate
And thin the road that lead to life, and only
A few find it.15 Beware false prophets who

Come to you dressed as sheep, but inwardly
Are vicious wolves.16 You'll tell them by
their fruit.
Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes,


Or figs from thistles? 17 Every good tree bears
Good fruit; a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good
Tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree

Cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does
Not bear good fruit is cut and burnt,20 so by
Their fruit you'll recognize them.21 Not all will

Enter heaven's kingdom who say to me,
‘Lord, Lord, ' but only he who actually
Does my heavenly Father's will.22 In ‘that

Day', many will declare to me, ‘Lord, Lord,
Did we not prophesy in your name, and
In your name drive out demons and perform

Many wonderful works? ' 23 Then I will tell
Them plainly, ‘You have never been mine; go
Away from me, you evildoers! ' 24 So

Each one who hears these words of mine and puts
Them into practice is like a wise man
Who built his house upon the rock.25 The rain

Came down, the streams arose, and the winds blew
And beat against that house; yet it did not
Fall, for it's built upon the rock,26 but he

Who hears my teaching then ignores it is
Foolish as one who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams arose, the winds

Blustered and beat against that house, and it
Fell with a mighty crash." 28 The crowds were stunned
By Jesus' sermons; 29 therefore they ascribed

Authority to him, unlike the Scribes.