Matthew 7:3 - Plain English Version

^3-5 You shouldn’t always try to tell other people they are doing bad things. First, you have to think about all the bad things that you do, and you have to stop doing those bad things. Then maybe you can help other people to stop doing bad things too. Maybe you are doing lots of bad things, and your friend is just doing one little bad thing. If you are still doing lots of bad things, you can’t help them stop doing that little bad thing. It’s like this. All those bad things you do are making you blind, like you have a big bit of wood in your eye. And maybe your friend is just doing one little thing wrong, like they just have a little splinter of wood in their eye. You have to take that big bit of wood out of your eye, so that you can see properly, then maybe you can help your friend get that little splinter out of their eye.”

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

³ Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye?

American Standard Version (1901)

³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Common English Bible

³ Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?

Catholic Public Domain Version

³ And how can you see the splinter in your brother's eye, and not see the board in your own eye?

Matthew 7:3 Cross References

Luke 18:11

The Pharisee man stood in a place where everyone could see him, and he didn’t say he was sorry for anything. He just talked about himself. He said, ‘Thank you, God, that I am different from everyone else. You see, God, I don’t cheat anyone, and I don’t do anything bad. I don’t sleep with anyone that is not my wife. I’m not a bad man, like that man over there. He takes tax money from people to give it to the government.

Romans 2:1

And you do those same bad things too. You might try to blame other people, but you are just as bad as them, so if you try to blame them, you really blame yourself.

Galatians 6:1

My Christian friends, if you catch one of your own mob doing something bad, the rest of you that listen properly to God’s spirit, you have to get that person to stop. Make sure you talk to that person in a good and easy way. Remember, Satan tries to get you to do bad things too, so be careful.