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Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

⁵ Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger—
   the club in their hands is my fury!
⁶ Against a godless nation I send him,
   and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
   and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷ But this is not what he intends,
   nor does he have this in mind;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
   and to cut off nations not a few.
⁸ For he says:
‘Are not my commanders all kings?
⁹ Is not Calno like Carchemish?
   Is not Hamath like Arpad?
   Is not Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols
   whose images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹ shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
   what I have done to Samaria and her images?’

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he^* will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride. ¹³For he says:
‘By the strength of my hand I have done it,
   and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I have removed the boundaries of peoples,
   and have plundered their treasures;
   like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.
¹⁴ My hand has found, like a nest,
   the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
   so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing,
   or opened its mouth, or chirped.’

¹⁵ Shall the axe vaunt itself over the one who wields it,
   or the saw magnify itself against the one who handles it?
As if a rod should raise the one who lifts it up,
   or as if a staff should lift the one who is not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts,
   will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
   like the burning of fire.
¹⁷ The light of Israel will become a fire,
   and his Holy One a flame;
and it will burn and devour
   his thorns and briers in one day.
¹⁸ The glory of his forest and his fruitful land
   the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
   and it will be as when an invalid wastes away.
¹⁹ The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
   that a child can write them down.

The Narrow Gate

13 ‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy^* that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Concerning Self-Deception

21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” ²³Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

Hearers and Doers

24 ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.