1 T he same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea.

2 A nd great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

But such great crowds gathered about Him that He got into a boat and remained sitting there, while all the throng stood on the shore.

3 A nd he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And He told them many things in parables (stories by way of illustration and comparison), saying, A sower went out to sow.

4 a nd when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them up.

5 s ome fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

6 a nd when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away.

7 A nd some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out.

8 b ut other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Other seeds fell on good soil, and yielded grain—some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty.

9 W ho hath ears to hear, let him hear.

He who has ears, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.

10 A nd the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Then the disciples came to Him and said, Why do You speak to them in parables?

11 H e answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 F or whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

For whoever has, to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

13 T herefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand.

14 A nd in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

In them indeed is the process of fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: You shall indeed hear and hear but never grasp and understand; and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive.

15 f or this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

For this nation’s heart has grown gross (fat and dull), and their ears heavy and difficult of hearing, and their eyes they have tightly closed, lest they see and perceive with their eyes, and hear and comprehend the sense with their ears, and grasp and understand with their heart, and turn and I should heal them.

16 B ut blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.

17 F or verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men yearned to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 H ear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

Listen then to the parable of the sower:

19 W hen any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.

20 B ut he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy;

21 y et hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble '> begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.

22 H e also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.

23 B ut he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.

24 A nother parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Another parable He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 b ut while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed also darnel (weeds resembling wheat) among the wheat, and went on his way.

26 B ut when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also.

27 S o the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

And the servants of the owner came to him and said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have darnel shoots in it?

28 H e said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

He replied to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and weed them out?

29 B ut he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

But he said, No, lest in gathering the wild wheat (weeds resembling wheat), you root up the wheat along with it.

30 L et both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary.

31 A nother parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

32 w hich indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Of all the seeds it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.

33 A nother parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven ( sour dough) which a woman took and covered over in three measures of meal or flour till all of it was leavened.

34 A ll these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

These things all taken together Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, without a parable He said nothing to them.

35 t hat it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been hidden since the foundation of the world.

36 T hen Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field.

37 H e answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 t he field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one,

39 t he enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 A s therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

Just as the darnel (weeds resembling wheat) is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age.

41 T he Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense '> persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly,

42 a nd shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.

43 T hen shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing.

44 A gain, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.

45 A gain, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls,

46 w ho, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.

47 A gain, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was cast into the sea and gathered in fish of every sort.

48 w hich, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

When it was full, men dragged it up on the beach, and sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away.

49 S o shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

So it will be at the close and consummation of the age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God)

50 a nd shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.

51 J esus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Have you understood all these things taken together? They said to Him, Yes, Lord.

52 T hen said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the kingdom of heaven and has become a disciple is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and old.

53 A nd it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

When Jesus had finished these parables (these comparisons), He left there.

54 A nd when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

And coming to His own country, He taught in their synagogue so that they were amazed with bewildered wonder, and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

55 I s not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Is not this the carpenter’s Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 A nd his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And do not all His sisters live here among us? Where then did this Man get all this?

57 A nd they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

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 A nd he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

And He did not do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in the divine mission of Jesus).