If you are merciful as the heavenly Father is, you do not judge. What follows this has the same idea but uses a more severe term, namely condemn. Condemn not in order that you will one day be acquitted and not condemned. This is not intended to include judgments that take place in a court of law; Jesus has an eye on the harsh judgment that often happens among people dealing with each other. Refraining from doing so will prevent you from being judged/condemned in like manner on Judgment Day.

The verb forms used here are striking. The first verb form refers to something that happens again and again, which is why a translation like stop judging is also possible. This is how people sometimes are. The second verb form used refers to a single event and from this it appears that God’s judgment on the last day is intended.

The same can be said about forgiveness, because people keep coming back to certain mistakes of others. We remember very well what someone else has done wrong and the reproaches continue. Stop that, says Jesus, and then you too will be forgiven.