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

On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.

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.

Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

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

He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

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

As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

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.

Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

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 had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

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

Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

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.

Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

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

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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

The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

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 answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

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.

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

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.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they 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.

In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:

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.

for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; 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 blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for 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 most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

18 L isten then to the parable of the sower:

“Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

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 of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

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;

What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives 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.

yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

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.

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

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.

What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

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.

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed 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.

but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.

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

But when the blade sprang up and produced fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared 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 householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’

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?

“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’

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

“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

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 both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

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.

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed 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.

which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

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.

He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”

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

Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,

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.

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”

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.

Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.”

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

He answered them, “He who sows 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; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

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 enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are 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 therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

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 out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,

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

and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing 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 righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

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.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. 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 Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,

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

who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

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

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some 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.

which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw 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)

So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

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

and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

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

Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “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, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

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

When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed 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?

Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty 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?

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

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

Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of 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.

They were offended by 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 do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in the divine mission of Jesus).

He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.