Matthew 13
13
The Story of the Farmer Scattering Seed
1That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. 2The crowds that gathered around him were so large that he got into a boat and sat down to teach, while all the people stood on the shore to listen. 3Then he taught them many things by telling them stories. He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4As he scattered it, some fell on a path and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some seed fell in rocky places where there wasn’t much soil. Those plants came up quickly because the soil wasn’t very deep. 6But when the sun got hot, it burned the plants and they dried up, because they had no roots. 7Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and crowded out the plants. 8But still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop that was 100, 60, or 30 times more than what was planted. 9Whoever understands should take this to heart.”
10The disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you tell stories when you speak to the people?”
11He answered, “Because they aren’t being given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven the way you are. 12Whoever has this kind of knowledge will be given more, until they have a great deal of it. But if anyone lacks this kind of knowledge, even what little they have will be taken away from them. 13I tell stories when I speak to the people so that:
“They’ll look, but they won’t see.
They’ll listen, but they won’t hear or understand.
14These people are making the words of the prophet Isaiah come true.
“ ‘You’ll hear but never understand,
you’ll see but never know what you’re seeing.
15The hearts of these people have become stubborn.
They can barely hear with their ears
and they’ve closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts.
Then they might turn to the Lord, and he would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and blessed are your ears, because they hear. 17Truly I tell you, many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you’re seeing, but they didn’t see it, and they wanted to hear what you’re hearing, but they didn’t hear it.
18“Listen! Here’s what the story about the farmer means. 19When people hear the message about the kingdom, but they don’t understand it, the evil one comes and steals what was planted in their hearts. Those people are like the seed that landed on the path. 20The seed that fell on rocky places stands for other people who hear the message and receive it right away with joy. 21But because they have no roots, they last only a short time. When trouble or suffering comes because of the message, they quickly fall away from the faith. 22The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear the message but then have it crowded out by the worries of this life and the false promises of wealth, which keep it from producing fruit. 23But the seed that fell on good soil stands for those who hear the message and understand what it means. They produce a crop that’s 100, 60, or 30 times more than what was planted.”
The Story of the Weeds
24Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “Here’s what the kingdom of heaven is like. A man planted good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came, planted weeds among the wheat, and then slipped away. 26The wheat began to grow and form grain, but at the same time, weeds appeared.
27“The owner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then where did these weeds come from?’
28“ ‘An enemy must have done it,’ he replied.
“The slaves asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’
29“ ‘No,’ the owner answered, ‘because while you’re pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat too. Let them both grow together until the harvest. 30Then I’ll tell the workers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and put it in my barn.” ’ ”
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 that someone took and planted in a field. 32It’s the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the largest of all garden plants. It turns into a tree, and birds come and rest in its branches.”
33Jesus told them one more story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,” he said. “A woman mixed it into 60 pounds of flour, and the yeast worked its way through all of that dough.”
34Jesus taught the crowd all these things by telling stories. He didn’t say anything to them without using a story. 35So the words spoken by the prophet came true:
“I will open my mouth and tell stories.
I’ll speak about things that have been hidden since the world was created.”
Jesus Explains the Story of the Weeds
36Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, “Please explain the story of the weeds in the field to us.”
37He replied, “The one who planted the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one, 39and the enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is the judgment day and the workers are angels.
40“The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. That’s how it will be on judgment day. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and everyone who does wrong. 42They’ll throw them into the blazing furnace, where people will weep and grind their teeth. 43Then God’s people will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Whoever understands should take this to heart.
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, and then he went and gladly sold everything he had to buy that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one that was very valuable, he went away and sold everything he had so he could buy that pearl.
The Story of the Net
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake. It caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets, but they threw the bad fish away. 49That’s how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come and separate the people who did wrong from those who did right. 50They will throw the bad people into the blazing furnace, where they 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 who brings new treasures out of his storeroom along with the old ones.”
A Prophet Without Honor
53When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he moved on from there. 54He came to his hometown of Nazareth and began teaching the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and they asked, “Where did this man get so much wisdom? Where did he get the power to do miracles? 55Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us too? Then where did this man get all these things?” 57And they couldn’t believe in Jesus because they were stuck on these questions.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town and in his own home.”
58He didn’t do many miracles in Nazareth because the people there had so little faith.
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Matthew 13
13
CHAPTER 13
1In that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat beside the sea.
2And much people was gathered to him, so that he went up into a boat, and sat; and all the people stood on the brink.
3And he spake to them many things in parables, and said, Lo! he that soweth, went out to sow his seed.
4And while he soweth, some seeds felled beside the way, and birds of the air came, and ate them.
5But other seeds felled into stony places, where they had not much earth; and anon they sprung up, for they had not deepness of earth.
6But when the sun was risen, they sweltered [or they burned for the heat], and for they had not root, they dried up.
7And other seeds felled among thorns; and the thorns waxed up, and strangled them.
8But other seeds felled into good land, and gave fruit; some an hundred-fold, another sixtyfold, another thirty-fold.
9He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
10And the disciples came nigh, and said to him, Why speakest thou in parables to them?
11And he answered, and said to them, For to you it is given to know the privates [or mysteries] of the kingdom of heavens; but it is not given to them.
12For it shall be given to him that hath, and he shall have plenty; but if a man hath not, also that thing that he hath shall be taken away from him.
13Therefore I speak to them in parables, for they seeing see not, and they hearing hear not, neither under-stand;
14that the prophecy of Isaiah saying be fulfilled in them, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not under-stand; and ye seeing shall see, and ye shall not see;
15for the heart of this people is greatly fatted, and they heard heavily with ears, and they have closed their eyes, lest sometime they see with eyes, and with ears hear, and under-stand in heart, and they be converted, and I heal them.
16But your eyes that see be blessed, and your ears that hear.
17Forsooth I say to you, that many prophets and just men coveted to see those things that ye see, and they saw not, and to hear those things that ye hear, and they heard not.
18Therefore hear ye the parable of the sower.
19Each that heareth the word of the realm, and understandeth not, the evil spirit cometh, and ravisheth that that is sown in his heart; this it is [or this is he], that is sown beside the way.
20But this [or he] that is sown on the stony land, this it is [or is this], that heareth the word of God, and anon with joy taketh it.
21And he hath not root in himself, but is temporal. For when tribulation and persecution is made for the word, anon he is caused to stumble.
22But he that is sown in thorns, is this that heareth the word, and the busyness of this world, and the fallacy [or the falseness] of riches strangleth the word, and it is made without fruit.
23But he that is sown into good land, is this that heareth the word, and understandeth, and bringeth forth fruit. And some maketh an hundred-fold, truly another sixtyfold and another thirtyfold.
24Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said, The kingdom of heavens is made like to a man, that sowed good seed in his field.
25And when men slept, his enemy came, and sowed above tares, [or darnels, or cockles], in the middle of wheat, and went away.
26But when the herb was grown, and made fruit, then the tares, [or the darnels, or cockles], appeared.
27And the servants of the husband-man came, and said to him, Lord, whether hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whereof then hath it tares, [or darnels, or cockles]?
28And he said to them, An enemy hath done this thing. And the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go, and gather them?
29And he said, Nay, lest peradven-ture ye in gathering tares, [or the darnels, or cockles], draw up with them [also] the wheat by the root.
30Suffer ye them both to wax into reaping time; and in the time of ripe corn, I shall say to the reapers, First gather ye together the tares, [or the darnels, or cockles], and bind them together in knitches, [or small bundles], to be burnt, but gather ye the wheat into my barn.
31Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said, The kingdom of heavens is like to a corn of sinapi, which a man took, and sowed in his field.
32Which [truly] is the least of all seeds, but when it hath waxen, it is the most of all worts, and is made a tree; so that [the] birds of the air come, and dwell in the boughs [or the branches] thereof.
33Another parable Jesus spake to them [or He spake another parable to them], The kingdom of heavens is like to sourdough, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it were all soured.
34Jesus spake all these things in parables to the people, and he spake not to them without parables,
35that it should be fulfilled, that is said by the prophet, saying, I shall open my mouth in parables; I shall tell out hid things [or things hid] from the making of the world.
36Then he left the people, and came into an house; and his disciples came to him, and said, Expound to us the parable of the tares, [or the darnels, or cockles], of the field.
37Which answered, and said, He that soweth good seed is man’s Son;
38the field is the world; but the good seed, these be the sons of the kingdom, but tares, these be evil children, [or forsooth darnels, or cockles, these be evil sons or sons of the wicked];
39the enemy that soweth them is the fiend [or the devil]; and the ripe corn is the ending of the world, the reapers be angels.
40Therefore as tares, [or darnels, or cockles], be gathered together, and be burnt in [the] fire, so it shall be in the ending of the world.
41Man’s Son shall send his angels, and they shall gather from his realm all causes of stumbling, and them that do wickedness;
42and they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping, and beating together of teeth.
43Then just men shall shine as the sun, in the realm of their Father. He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
44The kingdom of heavens is like to treasure hid in a field, which a man that findeth, hideth; and for joy of it he goeth, and selleth all things that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a merchant, that seeketh good margarites [or good pearls];
46but when he hath found one precious margarite, he went, and sold all things that he had, and bought it.
47Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a net cast into the sea, and that gathereth together of all kinds of fishes;
48which when it was full, they drew it up, and sat by the brink, and chose the good into their vessels, but the evil they cast out.
49So it shall be in the end of the world. Angels shall go out, and shall separate evil men from the middle [or the midst] of just men.
50And they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping, and grinding of teeth.
51Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea.
52He saith to them, Therefore every wise man of [the] law [taught] in the kingdom of heavens, is like to an husbandman, that bringeth forth of his treasure new things and old.
53And it was done, when Jesus had ended these parables, he passed from thence.
54And he came into his country, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered, and said, From whence this wisdom and virtues came to this? [or to him?]
55Whether this is not the son of a carpenter? Whether his mother be not said Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
56and his sisters, whether they all be not among us? From whence then all these things come or came to this? [or to him?]
57And so they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and in his own house.
58And he did not there many virtues, for the unbelief of them.
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