Matthew 13
1 In that day, Jesus, departing from the house, sat down beside the sea.2 And such great crowds were gathered to him that he climbed into a boat and he sat down. And the entire multitude stood on the shore.3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow seed.4 And while he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and ate it.5 Then others fell in a rocky place, where they did not have much soil. And they sprung up promptly, because they had no depth of soil.6 But when the sun rose up, they were scorched, and because they had no roots, they withered.7 Still others fell among thorns, and the thorns increased and suffocated them.8 Yet some others fell upon good soil, and they produced fruit: some one hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.10 And his disciples drew near to him and said, Why do you speak to them in parables?11 Responding, he said to them: Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them.12 For whoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have in abundance. But whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.13 For this reason, I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.14 And so, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said, Hearing, you shall hear, but not understand; and seeing, you shall see, but not perceive.15 For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they hear heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and then I would heal them.16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.17 Amen I say to you, certainly, that many of the prophets and the just desired to see what you see, and yet they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and yet they did not hear it.18 Listen, then, to the parable of the sower.19 With anyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, evil comes and carries away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the side of the road.20 Then whoever has received the seed upon a rocky place, this is one who hears the word and promptly accepts it with joy.21 But he has no root in himself, so it is only for a time; then, when tribulation and persecution occur because of the word, he promptly stumbles.22 And whoever has received the seed among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the falseness of riches suffocate the word, and he is effectively without fruit.23 Yet truly, whoever has received the seed into good soil, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, and so he bears fruit, and he produces: some a hundred fold, and another sixty fold, and another thirty fold.24 He proposed another parable to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.25 But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds amid the wheat, and then went away.26 And when the plants had grown, and had produced fruit, then the weeds also appeared.27 So the servants of the Father of the family, approaching, said to him: Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how is it that it has weeds?28 And he said to them, A man who is an enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Is it your will that we should go and gather them up?29 And he said: No, lest perhaps in gathering the weeds, you might also root out the wheat together with it.30 Permit both to grow until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers: Gather first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather into my storehouse. 31 He proposed another parable to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.32 It is, indeed, the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than all the plants, and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches.33 He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of fine wheat flour, until it was entirely leavened.34 All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds. And he did not speak to them apart from parables,35 in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables. I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.36 Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. And his disciples drew near to him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.37 Responding, he said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of man.38 Now the field is the world. And the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of wickedness.39 So the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And truly, the harvest is the consummation of the age; while the reapers are the Angels.40 Therefore, just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the consummation of the age.41 The Son of man shall send out his Angels, and they shall gather from his kingdom all who lead astray and those who work iniquity.42 And he shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.43 Then the just ones shall shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.44 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds it, he hides it, and, because of his joy, he goes and sells everything that he has, and he buys that field.45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls.46 Having found one pearl of great value, he went away and sold all that he had, and he bought it.47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers together all kinds of fish.48 When it has been filled, drawing it out and sitting beside the shore, they selected the good into vessels, but the bad they threw away.49 So shall it be at the consummation of the age. The Angels shall go forth and separate the bad from the midst of the just.50 And they shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51 Have you understood all these things? They say to him, Yes.52 He said to them, Therefore, every scribe well-taught about the kingdom of heaven, is like a man, the father of a family, who offers from his storehouse both the new and the old.53 And it happened that, when Jesus had completed these parables, he went away from there.54 And arriving in his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so much so that they wondered and said: How can such wisdom and power be with this one?55 Is this not the son of a workman? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude?56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Therefore, from where has this one obtained all these things?57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.58 And he did not work many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake.2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit whilet the whole crowd stood on the shore.3 Het told them many things in parables,s saying: “Listen!t A sower went out to sow.s4 And as he sowed, some seedst fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.5 Othert seeds fell on rocky grounds where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep.t6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered.7 Other seeds fell among the thorns,s and they grew up and choked them.s8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 The one who has ears had better listen!”t
10 Thent the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”11 He replied,t “You have been givent the opportunity to knowt the secretsts of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.s13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.
14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefullytyet will never understand,
you will look closelytyet will never comprehend.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’s
16 “But your eyes are blesseds because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 For I tell you the truth,t many prophets and righteous people longed to sees what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil ones comes and snatches what was sown in his heart;s this is the seed sown along the path.20 Thet seed sown on rocky groundt is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure;t whent trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.22 Thet seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealtht choke the word,s so it produces nothing.
23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”t
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He presented them with another parable:t “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weedst among the wheat and went away.26 Whent the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.27 So the slavest of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ Sot the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Att harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but thent gathert the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He gavet them another parable:t “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seeds that a man took and sowed in his field.
32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree,s so that the wild birdst come and nest in its branches.”s
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed witht three measuress of flour until all the dough had risen.”ts
The Purpose of Parables
34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.
35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:st
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”s
Explanation for the Disciples
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”37 Het answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.38 The field is the world and the good seed are the peoplet of the kingdom. The weeds are the peoplet of the evil one,39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.40 Ast the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.t42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace,s where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.s The one who has ears had better listen!t
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away.49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous
50 and throw them into the fiery furnace,s where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”
52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the lawt who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
Rejection at Nazareth
53 Now whent Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.54 Thent he came to his hometowns and began to teach the peoplet in their synagogue.s Theyt were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary?s And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?”t57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.