Matthew 13
13
The Story of the Farmer
1That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. 2Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat and sat down. All the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things using stories. He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. 5Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. 6When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. 7Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. 9Whoever has ears should listen.”
10The disciples came to him. They asked, “Why do you use stories when you speak to the people?”
11He replied, “Because you have been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders. 12Everyone who has this kind of knowledge will be given more knowledge. In fact, they will have very much. If anyone doesn’t have this kind of knowledge, even what little they have will be taken away from them. 13Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say,
“They look, but they don’t really see.
They listen, but they don’t really hear or understand.
14In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true. He said,
“ ‘You will hear but never understand.
You will see but never know what you are seeing.
15The hearts of these people have become stubborn.
They can barely hear with their ears.
They have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes.
They might hear with their ears.
They might understand with their hearts.
They might turn to the Lord, and then he would heal them.’ (Isaiah 6:9,10)
16But blessed are your eyes because they see. And blessed are your ears because they hear. 17What I’m about to tell you is true. Many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you see. But they didn’t see it. They wanted to hear what you hear. But they didn’t hear it.
18“Listen! Here is the meaning of the story of the farmer. 19People hear the message about the kingdom but do not understand it. Then the evil one comes. He steals what was planted in their hearts. Those people are like the seed planted on a path. 20The seed that fell on rocky places is like other people. They hear the message and at once receive it with joy. 21But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. 22The seed that fell among the thorns is like others who hear the message. But then the worries of this life and the false promises of wealth crowd it out. They keep the message from producing fruit. 23But the seed that fell on good soil is like those who hear the message and understand it. They produce a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than the farmer planted.”
The Story of the Weeds
24Jesus told the crowd another story. “Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like,” he said. “A man planted good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came. The enemy planted weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26The wheat began to grow and form grain. At the same time, weeds appeared.
27“The owner’s slaves 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 replied.
“The slaves asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’
29“ ‘No,’ the owner answered. ‘While you are pulling up the weeds, 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. Here is what I will say to them. First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat. Bring it into my storeroom.’ ”
The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches.”
33Jesus told them still another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,” he said. “A woman mixed it into 60 pounds of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.”
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd using stories. He did not say anything to them without telling a story. 35So the words spoken by the prophet came true. He had said,
“I will open my mouth and tell stories.
I will speak about things that were hidden since the world was made.” (Psalm 78:2)
Jesus Explains the Story of the Weeds
36Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, “Explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37He answered, “The one who planted the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seed stands for the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39The enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is judgment day. And the workers are angels.
40“The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. That is how it will be on judgment day. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin. They will also get rid of all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace. There people will weep and grind their teeth. 43Then God’s people will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Whoever has ears should listen.
The Stories of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. He was very happy. So he went and sold everything he had. And he bought that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. 46He found one that was very valuable. So he went away and sold everything he had. And he bought that pearl.
The Story of the Net
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. It was let down into the lake. It caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away. 49This is how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come. They will separate the people who did what is wrong from those who did what is right. 50They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There the evil ones will weep and grind their teeth.
51“Do you understand all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52He said to them, “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings new treasures out of his storeroom as well as old ones.”
A Prophet Without Honor
53Jesus finished telling these stories. Then he moved on from there. 54He came to his hometown of Nazareth. There he began teaching the people in their synagogue. They were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom? Where did he get this power to do miracles?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary? Aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Then where did this man get all these things?” 57They were not pleased with him at all.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town and in his own home.”
58He did only a few miracles in Nazareth because the people there had no faith.
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Matthew 13: NIrV
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Mattityahu (Mat) 13
13
1That same day, Yeshua went out of the house and sat down by the lake; 2but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while the crowd stood on the shore. 3He told them many things in parables:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow; 6but when the sun had risen, the young plants were scorched; and since their roots were not deep, they dried up. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8But others fell into rich soil and produced grain, a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as had been sown. 9Those who have ears, let them hear!”
10Then the talmidim came and asked Yeshua, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” 11He answered, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them. 12For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. 13Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. 14That is, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha‘yahu which says,
‘You will keep on hearing but never understand,
and keep on seeing but never perceive,
15because the heart of this people has become dull —
with their ears they barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
so as not to see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and do t’shuvah,
so that I could heal them.’
16But you, how blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear! 17Yes indeed! I tell you that many a prophet and many a tzaddik longed to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them.
18“So listen to what the parable of the sower means. 19Whoever hears the message about the Kingdom, but doesn’t understand it, is like the seed sown along the path — the Evil One comes and seizes what was sown in his heart. 20The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once, 21but has no root in himself. So he stays on for a while; but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, he immediately falls away. 22Now the seed sown among thorns stands for someone who hears the message, but it is choked by the worries of the world and the deceitful glamor of wealth, so that it produces nothing. 23However, what was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the message and understands it; such a person will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
24Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29But he said, ‘No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time. 30Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.’”
31Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches.”
33And he told them yet another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.”
34All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet,
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe.”
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. 39The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah; 42and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let him hear!
44“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field.
45“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.
47“Once more, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the lake, that caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen brought the net up onto the shore, sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away. 49So it will be at the close of the age — the angels will go forth and separate the evil people from among the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.
51“Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. 52He said to them, “So then, every Torah-teacher who has been made into a talmid for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a home who brings out of his storage room both new things and old.”
53When Yeshua had finished these parables, he left 54and went to his home town. There he taught them in their synagogue in a way that astounded them, so that they asked, “Where do this man’s wisdom and miracles come from? 55Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Miryam? and his brothers Ya‘akov, Yosef, Shim‘on and Y’hudah? 56And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all this?” 57And they took offense at him. But Yeshua said to them, “The only place people don’t respect a prophet is in his home town and in his own house.” 58And he did few miracles there because of their lack of trust.
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