1 T hat same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the shore of the lake.

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

Then He got in a boat and sat down because so many people had gathered around Him. Many people were standing on the shore. The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seeds

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

Jesus taught them many things by using picture-stories. He said, “A man went out to plant seeds.

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

As he planted the seeds, some fell by the side of the road. The birds came and ate the seeds.

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

Some seeds fell between rocks. The seeds came up at once because there was so little ground.

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

When the sun was high in the sky, they dried up and died because they had no root.

7 O ther seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out.

Some seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seeds room to grow.

8 O ther 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.

Some seeds fell on good ground and gave much grain. Some gave one hundred times as much grain. Some gave sixty times as much grain. Some gave thirty times as much grain.

9 H e who has ears, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.

You have ears, then listen.” Why Jesus Used Picture-Stories

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

The followers of Jesus came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in picture-stories?”

11 A nd 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.

He said to the followers, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of heaven. The secrets were not given to the others.

12 F or 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.

He who has will have more given to him. He will have even more than enough. But he who has little will have even that taken away from him.

13 T his 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.

“This is why I speak to them in picture-stories. They have eyes but they do not see. They have ears but they do not hear and they do not understand.

14 I n 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.

It happened in their lives as Isaiah said it would happen. He said, ‘You hear and hear but do not understand. You look and look but do not see.

15 F or 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.

The hearts of these people have become fat. They hear very little with their ears. They have closed their eyes. If they did not do this, they would see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts. Then they would be changed in their ways, and I would heal them.’

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

But how great are your eyes because they see. How great are your ears because they hear.

17 T ruly 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.

For sure, I tell you, that many early preachers and men right with God have wanted to see the things you see, but they did not see them. They wanted to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them. Jesus Tells about the Man Who Planted Seeds

18 L isten then to the parable of the sower:

“Listen to the picture-story of the man who planted seeds in the ground.

19 W hile 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.

When anyone hears the Word about the holy nation and does not understand it, the devil comes and takes away what was put in his heart. He is like the seed that fell by the side of the road.

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

The seed which fell between rocks is like the person who receives the Word with joy as soon as he hears it.

21 Y et 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.

Its root is not deep and it does not last long. When troubles and suffering come because of the Word, he gives up and falls away.

22 A s 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.

The seed which fell among thorns is like the person who hears the Word but the cares of this life, and the love for money let the thorns come up and do not give the seed room to grow and give grain.

23 A s 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.

The seed which fell on good ground is like the one who hears the Word and understands it. He gives much grain. Some seed gives one hundred times as much grain. Some gives sixty times as much grain. Some gives thirty times as much grain.” The Picture-Story of the Good Seed and the Weed Seed

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

Jesus told them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field.

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

During the night someone who hated him came and planted weed seed with the good seed in his field and went away.

26 S o when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also.

When the good seed started to grow and give grain, weeds came up also.

27 A nd 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?

“The servants of the man who planted the seed came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not plant good seed in your field? Why does it have weeds also?’

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

The man who planted the seed said, ‘Someone who hates me has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Should we go and pull the weeds out from among the good grain?’

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

He said, ‘No, because if you pull out the weeds, the good grain will come up also.

30 L et 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.

Let them grow together until the time to gather the grain. Then I will say to the workmen, “Gather the weeds first and put them together to be burned. Then gather the good grain into my building.”’” The Picture-Story of the Mustard Seed

31 A nother 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.

Jesus told them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like mustard seed which a man planted in his field.

32 O f 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.

It is the smallest of seeds. But when it is full-grown, it is larger than the grain of the fields and it becomes a tree. The birds of the sky come and stay in its branches.” The Picture-Story of the Yeast

33 H e 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.

Jesus gave them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like yeast that a woman put into three pails of flour until it had become much more than at first.”

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

Jesus told all these things using picture-stories to the many people. He did not speak to them without using picture-stories.

35 T his 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.

It happened as the early preacher said it would happen, “I will open My mouth in picture-stories. I will tell things which have been kept secret from the beginning of the world.” Jesus Tells about the Weed Seed

36 T hen 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.

After Jesus sent the people away, He went into the house. His followers came to Him and said, “Tell us what You mean by the picture-story of the weeds in the field.”

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

Jesus said, “He Who plants the good seed is the Son of Man.

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

The field is the world. The good seeds are the children of the holy nation. The weeds are the children of the devil.

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

The devil is the one who got in and planted the weeds. The time to gather is the end of the world. The men who gather are the angels.

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

As the weeds are gathered together and burned in the fire, so will it be in the end of the world.

41 T he 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,

The Son of Man will send His angels. They will gather out of His holy nation all things that cause people to sin and those who do sin.

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

They will put them into a stove of fire. There will be loud crying and grinding of teeth.

43 T hen 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.

Then the ones right with God will shine as the sun in the holy nation of their Father. You have ears, then listen!” The Picture-Stories of the Gold Buried in the Field and of Buying a Pearl

44 T he 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.

“The holy nation of heaven is like a box of riches buried in a field. A man found it and then hid it again. In his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

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

“Again, the holy nation of heaven is like a man who buys and sells. He is looking for good pearls.

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

When he finds one good pearl worth much money, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. The Picture-Story of the Fish Net

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

“The holy nation of heaven is like a big net which was let down into the sea. It gathered fish of every kind.

48 W hen 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.

When it was full, they took it to the shore. They sat down and put the good fish into pails. They threw the bad fish away.

49 S o 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)

It will be like this in the end of the world. Angels will come and take the sinful people from among those who are right with God.

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

They will put the sinful people into a stove of fire where there will be loud crying and grinding of teeth.”

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

Jesus asked them, “Have you understood all these picture-stories?” They said, “Yes, Lord!”

52 H e 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.

He said to them, “Every teacher of the Law who has become a follower of the holy nation of heaven is like a man who owns his house. He takes new and old riches from his house.” They Do Not Believe in Jesus in Nazareth

53 W hen Jesus had finished these parables (these comparisons), He left there.

When Jesus had finished these picture-stories, He went away from there.

54 A nd 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?

He came to His own town and taught them in their places of worship. They were surprised and wondered, saying, “Where did this Man get this wisdom? How can He do these powerful works?

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

Is not this the son of the man who makes things from wood? Is not Mary His mother? Are not James and Joseph and Simon and Judas His brothers?

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

And are not all His sisters here? Then where did He get all these things?”

57 A nd 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.

And they were ashamed of Him and turned away because of Him. Jesus said to them, “One who speaks for God is shown no respect in his own town and in his own house.”

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

He did not do many powerful works there because they did not put their trust in Him.