"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
— Luke 6:37 (NIV)
Luke 6:37 gives three short commands in a row: don't judge, don't condemn, forgive. Each comes with a promise that matches it. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits in Jesus's Sermon on the Plain, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about forgiveness and Bible verses about mercy.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."
"Judge" is krinō (G2919), to decide about or pass judgment on someone. "Condemn" is katadikazō (G2613), to pronounce a guilty sentence. "Forgive" here is apolyō (G630), to release or set free, the word used for letting a prisoner go.
Where it sits in Luke 6
Luke 6:20-49 is the Sermon on the Plain, Luke's shorter parallel to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just said, "Love your enemies, do good to them" (Luke 6:35) and "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). Verse 37 spells out what that mercy looks like toward other people.
The next verse continues the pattern with giving: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38). A few lines later Jesus asks why you look at the speck in someone else's eye and miss the plank in your own (Luke 6:41-42).
What the verse is saying
"Do not judge" does not mean never telling right from wrong. Jesus himself calls people to repentance, and the plank-and-speck saying ends with removing the speck once your own eye is clear (Luke 6:42). What he forbids is setting yourself up as the one who hands down the final verdict on another person.
The three commands move from attitude to sentence to release. Don't sit in judgment, don't pronounce the guilty verdict, and let people go. The promises mirror them, because the way you treat others is the measure you are choosing for yourself (Luke 6:38).
Questions people ask
What does Luke 6:37 say?
In the NIV: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." In the KJV: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."
Does "judge not" mean Christians can't say anything is wrong?
No. In the same passage Jesus tells people to remove the plank from their own eye so they can see clearly to help with the speck in someone else's (Luke 6:41-42). The command is against condemning people and setting yourself up as their final judge, not against moral discernment.
What is the difference between judging and condemning in Luke 6:37?
Krinō (judge) is forming a verdict about someone; katadikazō (condemn) is pronouncing the sentence against them. Jesus forbids both, then gives the positive alternative: release them.
Is Luke 6:37 the same as Matthew 7:1?
They are close parallels. Matthew 7:1 says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged," in the Sermon on the Mount. Luke 6:37 adds "do not condemn" and "forgive, and you will be forgiven."
What verses go with Luke 6:37?
Luke 6:36 (be merciful as your Father is merciful), Matthew 6:14-15, James 2:13 (mercy triumphs over judgment), and Matthew 5:7 (blessed are the merciful) are close companions.
