Matthew 13
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.
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Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.#Mk 4:1–12; Lk 8:4–10 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.#Mk 3:9; Lk 5:3
3Then he told them many things in parables,#Mt 13:10,34–36; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32; Mk 4:2 saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.#Gn 26:12; Mt 13:23 9Let anyone who has ears#13:9 Other mss add to hear listen.”#Mt 11:15; 13:43; Lk 8:8; 14:35; Rv 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22
Why Jesus Used Parables
10Then the disciples#Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” #Mt 13:35; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
11He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,#Mt 11:25; 19:11; Jn 6:65; 1Co 2:10; Col 1:27; 1Jn 2:20,27 but it has not been given to them. 12For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.#Mt 25:29; Lk 8:18; 19:26; Jn 15:2; Jms 4:6 13That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,#Dt 29:4; Is 42:19–20; Jr 5:21; Ezk 12:2 and hearing they do not listen or understand.#Mt 15:10; 16:12; 17:13; Mk 8:21 14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
but never understand;
you will look and look,
but never perceive. #
Is 6:9; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Ac 28:26–27; Rm 11:8
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and
understand with their hearts,
and turn back —
and I would heal them. # 13:14–15 Is 6:9–10 #
Is 6:10; Mt 15:8; Heb 5:11
16 “Blessed are your eyes #
Lk 10:23–24
because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.#Mt 16:17; Jn 20:29 17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.#Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1Pt 1:10–12
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: #
Mk 4:13–20; Lk 8:11–15 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.#Mt 4:23; 5:37; 6:13 20And the one sown on rocky ground — this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.#Is 58:2; Ezk 33:31–32; Mk 6:20; Jn 5:35 21But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution#Mk 4:17; 10:30; Ac 8:1; 13:50; Rm 8:35; 2Co 12:10 comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22Now the one sown among the thorns — this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age#Rm 12:2; 2Tm 4:10; 1Jn 2:15 and the deceitfulness#13:22 Or pleasure of wealth#Mt 19:23; Mk 10:23; 1Tm 6:9–10; 2Tm 4:10 choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.#Mt 18:23; 20:1; 25:1; Mk 4:26,30 25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27The landowner’s servants#Mt 10:24; Col 3:11; 4:1; Rv 1:1 came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Leaven
31He#Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–19 presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven#Mt 13:24; 17:20; Lk 17:6 is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”#Ps 104:12; Ezk 17:23; 31:6; Dn 4:12
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven#13:33 Or yeast that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds#13:33 Lit three sata; about forty liters of flour until all of it was leavened.”#Gn 18:6; Lk 13:21; Gl 5:9
Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy
34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable,#Mk 4:34; Jn 10:6; 16:25 35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.#13:35 Some mss omit of the world#13:35 Ps 78:2#Ps 78:2; Rm 16:25–26; 1Co 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26
Jesus Interprets the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”#Mt 13:3; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
37He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world; and the good seed — these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,#Mt 8:12; Jn 8:44; Ac 13:10; 1Jn 3:10 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.#Jl 3:13; Heb 9:26; Rv 14:15 40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.#Mt 24:3; 28:20 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin#13:41 Or stumbling and those guilty of lawlessness.#13:41 Or those who do lawlessness#Zph 1:3; Mt 8:20; 18:7; 24:31 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace#Rv 1:15; 9:2 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; Rv 19:20; 20:10 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears#13:43 Other mss add to hear listen.#Dn 12:3; Mt 11:15; 1Co 15:42
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. #
Is 55:1; Php 3:7–8; Rv 3:18
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46When he found one priceless#13:46 Or very precious pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.#Pr 2:4; Mt 7:6
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, #
Mt 3:2; 13:44; 22:10 48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,#Mt 13:39–40; 25:32 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; 13:42
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?” # 13:51 Other mss add Jesus asked them
They answered him, “Yes.”
52 “Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law#13:52 Or every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”#Mt 12:35; 28:19
Rejection at Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. 54He went to his hometown#Mk 6:1–6; Lk 4:16–30 and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?#Mt 2:23; 4:23; 7:28 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?#Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3; Lk 3:23; Jn 6:42 Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James,#Jms 1:1; Jd 1 Joseph,#13:55 Other mss read Joses; Mk 6:3 Simon, and Judas?#Mt 12:46; Jn 7:5 56And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?” 57And they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.”#Jr 11:21; 12:6; Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
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