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

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

2 A nd large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

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 spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out 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 as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

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

5 O thers fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

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 B ut when the sun had risen, 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 O thers fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

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

8 A nd others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

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 H e who has ears, let him hear.” An Explanation

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 to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

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

11 J esus answered them, “ To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

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 whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

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 I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor 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 I n their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘ You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will 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 the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would 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, because they see; and your ears, because 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 truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. The Sower Explained

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 “ Hear then the parable of the sower.

Listen then to the parable of the sower:

19 W hen anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

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 T he one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

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 he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

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 A nd the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes 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 A nd the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” Tares among Wheat

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 J esus presented another parable to them, saying, “ The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who 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 his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.

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 wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

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

27 T he slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have 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 A nd he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to 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, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot 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 A llow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” The Mustard Seed

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 H e presented another parable to them, saying, “ The kingdom of heaven is like a 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 a nd this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” The Leaven

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 H e spoke another parable to them, “ The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all 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 Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.

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

35 T his was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “ I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.” The Tares Explained

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 He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “ Explain to 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 A nd He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

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

38 a nd the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil 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 a nd the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are 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 S o just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

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 will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

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 will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping 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 the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Hidden Treasure

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 “ The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. A Costly Pearl

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 “ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

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

46 a nd upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. A Dragnet

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

47 “ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish 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 a nd when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw 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 it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

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 will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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

51 “ Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.”

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

52 A nd Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Jesus Revisits Nazareth

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 W hen Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.

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

54 H e came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

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 brothers, James and Joseph 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? Where then did this man get 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 took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “ A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

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 do many miracles 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).