1 T hat same day Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the shore of the lake.

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

2 T hen 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

And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

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

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

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

And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

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

Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

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

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

7 S ome seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seeds room to grow.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 S ome 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.

But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 Y ou have ears, then listen.” Why Jesus Used Picture-Stories

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The Purpose of Parables

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

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

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

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 H e 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.

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

13 “ 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.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 I t 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.

And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 T he 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.’

For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

16 B ut how great are your eyes because they see. How great are your ears because they hear.

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 F or 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

for assuredly, 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 Parable of the Sower Explained

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

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

19 W hen 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.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

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

But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

21 I ts 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.

yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

22 T he 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.

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 T he 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

But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

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

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

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

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

26 W hen the good seed started to grow and give grain, weeds came up also.

But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

27 “ 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?’

So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

28 T he 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?’

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

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

But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

30 L et 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

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” The Parable of the Mustard Seed

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

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

32 I t 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

which indeed is the least of all the 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 nest in its branches.” The Parable of the Leaven

33 J esus 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.”

Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Prophecy and the Parables

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

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

35 I t 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

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 A fter 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.”

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37 J esus said, “He Who plants the good seed is the Son of Man.

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

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

The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

39 T he 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.

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

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

Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

41 T he 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.

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

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

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

43 T hen 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

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 “ 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.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

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

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

46 W hen 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

who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. The Parable of the Dragnet

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

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

48 W hen 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.

which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

49 I t 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.

So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,

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

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

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

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

52 H e 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

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 W hen Jesus had finished these picture-stories, He went away from there.

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

54 H e 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?

When He had come to 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 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?

Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56 A nd are not all His sisters here? Then where did He get all these things?”

And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”

57 A nd 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.”

So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

58 H e did not do many powerful works there because they did not put their trust in Him.

Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.