Matthew 13
The
Parable of the Sower
“That
same day JESUS went
out of the house and sat by the lake.
2 Such large crowds gathered around HIM that HE got into a
boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 Then HE told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the
birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It
sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they
withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.’
10 The disciples came to HIM and
asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’
11 HE replied, ‘Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of
heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an
abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For
this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because
they hear.
17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous
people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you
hear but did not hear it.
18 ‘Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 When anyone hears the message about the
kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches
away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who
hears THE WORD and
at once receives it with joy.
21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of THE WORD, they quickly fall away.
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who
hears THE WORD,
but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke THE WORD, making it
unfruitful.
23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who
hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop,
yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.’
The Parable of the Weeds
24 JESUS told
them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field.
25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and
sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the
weeds also appeared.
27 ‘The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir,
didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time
I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to
be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’
The Parables of the Mustard Seed
and the Yeast
31 HE told them another
parable: ‘The
kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and
planted in his field.
32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it
grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds
come and perch in its branches.’
33 HE told them still another
parable: ‘The
kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about
sixty pounds
of flour until it worked all through the dough.
34 JESUS spoke all these things to
the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
35 So was fulfilled what was
spoken through the prophet:
‘I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since
the creation of the world.’
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then HE left the crowd and went
into the house. HIS disciples came to HIM and said, ‘Explain to us the
parable of the weeds in the field.’
37 HE answered, ‘THE
ONE WHO SOWED THE GOOD SEED is THE SON OF MAN.
38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for
the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,
39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The
harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 ‘As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so
it will be at the end of the age.
41 THE SON OF MAN will
send out HIS angels, and they will weed out of HIS kingdom everything that
causes sin and all who do evil.
42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the
kingdom of their FATHER. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The Parables of the Hidden
Treasure and the Pearl
44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in
a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and
sold all he had and bought that field.
45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
looking for fine pearls.
46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold
everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 ‘Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net
that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the
shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the
bad away.
49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 ‘Have you understood all these things?’ JESUS asked.
‘Yes,’ they replied.
52 HE said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a
disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out
of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’
A Prophet Without Honor
53 When JESUS had finished these
parables, HE moved on from there.
54 Coming to HIS hometown, HE began
teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where
did THIS MAN
this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked.
55 ‘Isn’t this THE CARPENTER’S SON? Isn’t
his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon
and Judas?
56 Aren’t all his sisters with us?
Where then did THIS MAN
get 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 town and in HIS own home.’
58 And he did not do many miracles
there because of their lack of faith.”
