⁷ “If there is ^(A)a poor person among you, one of your brothers, in any of your ^[a]towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^(B)you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; ⁸ but ^(C)you shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks. ⁹ Be careful that there is no mean-spirited ^[b]thought in your heart, ^[c]such as, ‘^(D)The seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and ^(E)your eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he ^(F)may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. ¹⁰ You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be ^[d]grudging when you give to him, because ^(G)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all ^[e]your undertakings. ^11 (H)For the poor will not cease ^[f]to exist in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall fully open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’

^34 (A)And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. ³⁵ But ^(B)love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be ^(C)sons of ^(D)the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. ^36 [a]Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷ “^(E)Do not ^[b]judge, and you will not be judged; and do not ^[c]condemn, and you will not be condemned; ^[d](F)pardon, and you will be pardoned. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. They will ^[e]pour ^(G)into your lap a ^(H)good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

³⁹ Now He also spoke a parable to them: “^(I)A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? ^40 (J)A ^[f]student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ Why do you look at the ^[g]speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the ^[h]speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the ^[i]speck that is in your brother’s eye. ^43 (K)For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, ^[j]on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. ^44 (L)For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. ^45 (M)The good person out of the good ^[k]treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; ^(N)for his mouth speaks from ^[l]that which fills his heart.

The Parable of the Builders

⁴⁶ “Now ^(O)why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ^47 (P)Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and ^[m]acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who ^[n]dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(A)good ^[a]works, ^(B)to be generous and ready to share,