Matthew 7:14

King James Version (KJV)

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Translations

Matthew 7:14 - Amplified Bible

But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened {and} compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

Matthew 7:14 - American Standard Version

For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

Matthew 7:14 - Bible in Basic English

For narrow is the door and hard the road to life, and only a small number make discovery of it.

Matthew 7:14 - Darby Bible

For narrow the gate and straitened the way that leads to life, and they are few who find it.

Matthew 7:14 - English Standard Version

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:14 - King James Version

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:14 - La Biblia de las Americas

Porque estrecha es la puerta y angosta la senda que lleva a la vida, y pocos son los que la hallan.

Matthew 7:14 - The Message

Matthew 7:14 - New American Standard Bible

~"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:14 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

~"Pero estrecha es la puerta y angosta la senda que lleva a la vida, y pocos son los que la hallan.

Matthew 7:14 - World English Bible

How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

Matthew 7:14 - Young's Living Translation

how strait [is] the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!

Matthew 7:14 - Additional Comments

What is this narrow path?
First, we need to understand the starting point. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9). Any attempt we have towards righteous is not only futile, it is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). We drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16). We are futile in our minds, have darkened understanding, and are blind in our heart (Eph 4:17-18). We cannot be good - only God is good (Matt 19:17).
Our sin and hopelessness is so deep that we cannot even say that Jesus is Lord except by the power of Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3). Since we are in such a pitiful state, we cannot even have faith in God without His power enabling us to do so. Rom 3:11 - "There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God."
How does God begin to place this faith in us? Rom 10:17 - "... faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." When the word is given, it is accompanied by the power of God (Heb 4:12, 1 Thess 1:5, Rom 1:16, 1 Cor 1:18).
But we need to respond to God's call by accepting Him and the faith He is willing to provide. See Rom 4:13-16, Rom 3:22, Rom 3:25-26.
Because any good deed we do, any faith we have, is all a result of God's power in our lives, we are indebted to God. The more faith we have, the more we do for Him, the more in debt we are to Him. God does not want payments for what He's done for us, because every time we do something for God we are actually going further in debt to Him! This is one great distinction between our faith and all other faiths - ours is completely about what God does for us, that there is nothing we can do for Him on our own. All other faiths depend on what you can do for God.
The one thing we can do to please God is to respond to His calling, to His prompting - this is faith. Faith is what pleases God, and only acts in faith can please God - Rom 8:8, Heb 11:6, 1 Thess 4:1

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