Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1On the same day Jesus went out of the house #Matt. 13:1–15; Mark 4:1–12; Luke 8:4–10and sat by the sea. 2#Luke 8:4And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that #Luke 5:3He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: #Luke 8:5“Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some #Gen. 26:12; Matt. 13:23a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9#Matt. 11:15; Mark 4:9; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables
10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11He answered and said to them, “Because #(Matt. 11:25; 16:17); Mark 4:10, 11; (John 6:65; 1 Cor. 2:10; Col. 1:27; 1 John 2:20, 27)it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12#Matt. 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
#Is. 6:9, 10; Ezek. 12:2; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27; Rom. 11:8; (2 Cor. 3:14, 15)‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not #(John 3:36)perceive;
15For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears #Ps. 119:70; Zech. 7:11; 2 Tim. 4:4; Heb. 5:11are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have #Luke 19:42closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should #Acts 28:26, 27heal them.’
16But #(Prov. 20:12; Matt. 16:17); Luke 10:23, 24; (John 20:29)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17for assuredly, I say to you #John 8:56; Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18#Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word #Matt. 4:23of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately #Is. 58:2; Ezek. 33:31, 32; John 5:35receives it with joy; 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when #(Acts 14:22)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately #Matt. 11:6; 2 Tim. 1:15he stumbles. 22Now #Matt. 19:23; Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24; 1 Tim. 6:9; 2 Tim. 4:10he who received seed #Jer. 4:3among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears #(John 15:5); Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:6fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but #Matt. 3:12gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31Another parable He put forth to them, saying: #(Is. 2:2, 3; Mic. 4:1); Mark 4:30; Luke 13:18, 19“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a #Ps. 104:12; Ezek. 17:22–24; 31:3–9; Dan. 4:12tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
33#Luke 13:20, 21Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till #(1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9)it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and the Parables
34#Mark 4:33, 34; John 10:6; 16:25All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
#Ps. 78:2“I will open My mouth in parables;
#Rom. 16:25, 26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Tares Explained
36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38#Matt. 24:14; 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are #Gen. 3:15; John 8:44; Acts 13:10the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, #Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:15the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, #Matt. 18:7; 2 Pet. 2:1, 2and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42#Matt. 3:12; Rev. 19:20; 20:10and will cast them into the furnace of fire. #Matt. 8:12; 13:50There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43#(Dan. 12:3; 1 Cor. 15:42, 43, 58)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. #Matt. 13:9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and #Phil. 3:7, 8sells all that he has and #(Is. 55:1; Rev. 3:18)buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found #Prov. 2:4; 3:14, 15; 8:10, 19one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and #Matt. 22:9, 10gathered some of every kind, 48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, #Matt. 25:32separate the wicked from among the just, 50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure #Song 7:13things new and old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54#Ps. 22:22; Matt. 2:23; Mark 6:1; Luke 4:16; John 7:15When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55#Is. 49:7; Mark 6:3; (Luke 3:23); John 6:42Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And #Matt. 12:46His brothers #Mark 15:40James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57So they #Matt. 11:6; Mark 6:3, 4were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, #Luke 4:24; John 4:44“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58Now #Mark 6:5, 6; John 5:44, 46, 47He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 13
13
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
1Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
10His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets#13:11 Greek the mysteries. of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’ # 13:14-15 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
24Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
31Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
Parable of the Yeast
33Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
34Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.#13:35 Some manuscripts do not include of the world. Ps 78:2.”
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37Jesus replied, “The Son of Man#13:37 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,#13:39 Or the age; also in 13:40, 49. and the harvesters are the angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Parable of the Fishing Net
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51Do you understand all these things?”
“Yes,” they said, “we do.”
52Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. 54He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph,#13:55 Other manuscripts read Joses; still others read John. Simon, and Judas. 56All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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