Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

1In that day, Jesus, having gone out of the house, was sitting by the sea.

2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

2And many crowds were gathered together to Him so that He, having entered into a boat, sat down, and all the crowd stood on the shore.

3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

3And He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the one sowing went out to sow.

4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

4And in his sowing, some indeed fell along the path, and the birds, having come, devoured them.

5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.

5And others fell upon the rocky places, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because of it not having depth of soil.

6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

6And the sun having risen, they were scorched, and because of not having root, they withered.

7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.

7And others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them.

8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

8And others fell upon the good soil and were giving fruit—some indeed a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty.

9He who has ears, let him hear.”

9The one having ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

10And having come, the disciples said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

11And answering, He said to them, “Because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to these it has not been given.

12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

12For whoever has, it will be given to him, and he will be in abundance. And whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

13Because of this I speak to them in parables: ‘Because seeing, they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand.’

14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, saying: ‘In hearing you will hear and never understand; and seeing, you will see and never perceive.

15For this people’s heart has grown callous;

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.’

15For the heart of this people grew dull, and they barely hear with the ears, and they closed their eyes, lest ever they might see with the eyes, and might hear with the ears, and might understand with the heart, and might return, and I will heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

17For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and did not hear.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18Consider, then, the parable of the sower:

18You, therefore, hear the parable of the one having sown:

19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

19Everyone hearing the word of the kingdom and not understanding, the evil one comes and snatches away that having been sown in his heart. This is the one having been sown along the path.

20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

20And that having been sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and immediately receiving it with joy.

21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

21And he has no root in himself, but is temporary. But on tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately he is caused to stumble.

22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

22And that having been sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, and the anxiety of this age and the deceit of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

23But that having been sown on the good soil, this is the one hearing the word and understanding, who indeed bears fruit and produces—some indeed a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

24He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens was likened to a man having sown good seed in his field.

25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.

25And while the men are sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds in the midst of the wheat, and went away.

26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

26And when the plants sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds also appeared.

27The 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?’

27And having come, the servants of the master of the house said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? From where, then, does it have weeds?’

28‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

28And he said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’ And the servants said to him, ‘Then do you desire that, having gone away, we should collect them?’

29‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.

29And he said, ‘No, lest collecting the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them.

30Let 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 into my barn.’”

30Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the harvesters: First collect the weeds and bind them into bundles in order to burn them up; but gather together the wheat into my barn.’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

31He put before them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard, which a man, having taken, sowed in his field,

32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

32which indeed is smallest of all the seeds, but when it may be grown, it is greater than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so as for the birds of the sky to come and to lodge in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

33He spoke to them another parable: “The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven that a woman, having taken, hid in three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.

34All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds, and without a parable He was not speaking to them,

35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

35so that it might be fulfilled, that having been spoken through the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

36Then, having dismissed the crowds, He went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

37He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

37And answering, He said, “The One sowing the good seed is the Son of Man;

38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;

39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

39and the enemy having sown them is the devil; and the harvest is the consummation of the age; and the harvesters are angels.

40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

40Therefore, as the weeds are gathered together and are burned up in fire, so will it be in the consummation of the age.

41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.

41The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those doing lawlessness,

42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

42and they will cast them into the furnace of the fire—there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

He who has ears, let him hear.

43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one having ears, let him hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

44The kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man, having found, hid. And from his joy, he goes and he sells all that he has, and he buys that field.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.

45Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a merchant, seeking fine pearls.

46When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

46And having found one very precious pearl, having gone away, he has sold all things, as many as he had, and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.

47Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet having been cast into the sea and having gathered together of every kind,

48When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.

48which, when it was filled, having drawn it up on the shore and having sat down, they collected the good into vessels, and they cast out the bad.

49So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

49So will it be in the consummation of the age: The angels will go out and will separate the evil from the midst of the righteous

50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

50and will cast them into the furnace of the fire—there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

51Have you understood all these things?”

“Yes,” they answered.

51Did you understand all these things?” They say to Him, “Yes.”

52Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

52And He said to them, “Because of this, every scribe having been discipled in the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a master of a house, who puts forth out of his treasure new and old.”

The Rejection at Nazareth

53When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.

53And it came to pass, when Jesus finished these parables, that He withdrew from there.

54Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.

54And having come into His hometown, He was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they are astonished and are saying, “From where unto this One is this wisdom and the miracles?”

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?

55Is this not the son of the carpenter? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”

56And are not all His sisters with us? Then from where are unto this One all these things?”

57And they took offense at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”

57And they were taking offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and in his house.”

58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.

58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.