MatthewChapter 13

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¹That same day Jesus went out of the house. He sat down by the sea. ²Very large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat and sat down. All the people stood on the shore. ³He told them many things in parables. He said, "A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴As he was scattering it, some seed fell along the path. The birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil. It sprang up fast because the soil was not deep. ⁶But when the sun came up, the young plants were burned. They dried up because they had no roots. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the young plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It made a crop. Some made a hundred times what was planted. Some made sixty times, and some thirty times. ⁹Whoever has ears, let him hear." ¹⁰Then the disciples came to Jesus. They asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" ¹¹He answered, "You have been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. But they have not. ¹²Whoever has will be given more. He will have plenty. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables. 'They look, but they do not see. They listen, but they do not hear or understand.' ¹⁴In them, what Isaiah the prophet said comes true: 'You will keep on hearing but never understand. You will keep on seeing but never really see. ¹⁵For the hearts of these people have grown hard. They can barely hear with their ears. They have shut their eyes. If they did not, they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears and understand with their hearts. They might turn, and I would heal them.' ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, because they see. And blessed are your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see. But they did not see it. They longed to hear what you hear. But they did not hear it. ¹⁸So listen to what the parable of the farmer means. ¹⁹Someone hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. Then the evil one comes. He snatches away what was planted in that person's heart. This is the seed planted along the path. ²⁰The seed planted on rocky ground is the person who hears the word. Right away he takes it in with joy. ²¹But he has no root, so he lasts only a short time. Trouble or hard treatment comes because of the word. Then he quickly falls away. ²²The seed planted among the thorns is the person who hears the word. But the worries of this life choke the word. So do the false promises of riches. Then the word bears no fruit. ²³But the seed planted on good soil is the person who hears the word and understands it. He truly bears fruit and makes a crop. Some make a hundred times what was planted. Some make sixty times, and some thirty times." ²⁴Jesus told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came. He planted weeds among the wheat and sneaked away. ²⁶The wheat came up and formed heads of grain. Then the weeds showed up too. ²⁷The owner's servants came to him. They said, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?' ²⁸'An enemy did this,' he answered. So the servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' ²⁹'No,' he said. 'If you pull up the weeds now, you might pull up the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the workers what to do. First gather the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then bring the wheat into my barn.'" ³¹He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. A man took it and planted it in his field. ³²It is the smallest of all seeds. Yet it grows into the largest of garden plants. It becomes a tree. Then the birds come and make nests in its branches." ³³He told them still another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast. A woman took it and mixed it into a big batch of flour. Then the yeast worked all through the dough."a ³⁴Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. ³⁵This made come true what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak about things hidden since the world was made." ³⁶Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, "Tell us what the parable of the weeds in the field means." ³⁷He answered, "The one who plants the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world. The good seed stands for the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age. And the workers who bring in the harvest are angels. ⁴⁰The weeds are gathered and burned in the fire. It will be like that at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will pull out of his kingdom everything that causes sin. They will also pull out all who do evil and break God's law. ⁴²The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace. There will be crying and grinding of teeth there. ⁴³Then those who are right with God will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Whoever has ears, let him hear. ⁴⁴The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it and hid it again. Full of joy, he went and sold everything he had. Then he bought that field. ⁴⁵Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶He found one pearl that was worth a great deal. He went away and sold everything he had. Then he bought it. ⁴⁷Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. It was thrown into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the men pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down. They put the good fish into baskets, but they threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come. They will separate the wicked from those who are right with God. ⁵⁰They will throw the wicked into the blazing furnace. There will be crying and grinding of teeth there. ⁵¹Have you understood all these things?" "Yes," they answered. ⁵²Then he said to them, "So every scribe who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings new treasures out of his storeroom, and old ones too." ⁵³Jesus finished telling these parables. Then he left that place. ⁵⁴He came to his hometown. He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get such wisdom and power to do miracles?" they asked. ⁵⁵"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary? Aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren't all his sisters here with us too? So where did this man get all these things?" ⁵⁷And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet gets honor everywhere except in his hometown and in his own home." ⁵⁸So he did not do many miracles there, because they did not believe.