1 A nd in that day Jesus, having gone forth from the house, was sitting by the sea,

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

2 a nd gathered together unto him were many multitudes, so that he having gone into the boat did sit down, and all the multitude on the beach did stand,

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 to them many things in similes, saying: `Lo, the 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 in his sowing, some indeed fell by the way, and the fowls did come and devour them,

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

5 a nd others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth, and immediately they sprang forth, through not having depth 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 the sun having risen they were scorched, and through not having root, they withered,

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

7 a nd others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns did come up and choke them,

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

8 a nd others fell upon the good ground, and were giving fruit, some indeed a hundredfold, and 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 is having 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 having come near, said to him, `Wherefore in similes dost thou speak to them?'

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

11 A nd he answering said to them that -- `To you it hath been given to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, and to these it hath not been 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 whoever hath, it shall be given to him, and he shall have overabundance, and whoever hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken 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 ` Because of this, in similes do I speak to them, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor 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 fulfilled on them is the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye 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 made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they might see with the eyes, and with the ears might hear, and with the heart understand, and turn back, and I might 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 ` And happy 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 verily I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men did desire to see that which ye look on, and they did not see, and to hear that which ye hear, and they did not hear.

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 ` Ye, therefore, hear ye the simile of the sower:

Listen then to the parable of the sower:

19 E very one hearing the word of the reign, and not understanding -- the evil one doth come, and doth catch that which hath been sown in his heart; this is that sown by the way.

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 ` And that sown on the rocky places, this is he who is hearing the word, and immediately with joy is receiving 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 a nd he hath not root in himself, but is temporary, and persecution or tribulation having happened because of the word, immediately he is stumbled.

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 ` And that sown toward the thorns, this is he who is hearing the word, and the anxiety of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, do choke the word, and it 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 ` And that sown on the good ground: this is he who is hearing the word, and is understanding, who indeed doth bear fruit, and doth make, some indeed a hundredfold, and some sixty, and 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 simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens was likened to a man sowing 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 a nd, while men are sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel in the midst of 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 a nd when the herb sprang up, and yielded fruit, then appeared also the darnel.

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

27 ` And the servants of the householder, having come near, said to him, Sir, good seed didst thou not sow in thy field? whence then hath it the darnel?

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 saith to them, A man, an enemy, did this; and the servants said to him, Wilt thou, then, having gone away we may gather it 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 ` And he said, No, lest -- gathering up the darnel -- ye root up with it the wheat,

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

30 s uffer both to grow together till the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the darnel, and bind it in bundles, to burn it, and the wheat gather up into my storehouse.'

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 simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow 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 less, indeed, is than all the seeds, but when it may be grown, is greatest of the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven do come and rest in its branches.'

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 simile spake he to them: `The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, 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 in similes to the multitudes, and without a simile he was not speaking to 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 that was spoken through the prophet, saying, `I will open in similes my mouth, I will utter things having been hidden 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 having let away the multitudes, Jesus came to the house, and his disciples came near to him, saying, `Explain to us the simile of the darnel 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 answering said to them, `He who is sowing 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 the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, and the darnel 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 a full end of the age, and the reapers are messengers.

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 ` As, then, the darnel is gathered up, and is burned with fire, so shall it be in the full end of this 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 shall send forth his messengers, and they shall gather up out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing the unlawlessness,

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 to the furnace of the fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

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

43 ` Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the reign of their Father. He who is having 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 ` Again, the reign of the heavens is like to treasure hid in the field, which a man having found did hide, and from his joy goeth, and all, as much as he hath, he selleth, 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 ` Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a merchant, 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 having found one pearl of great price, having gone away, hath sold all, as much as he had, and bought it.

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

47 ` Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a net that was cast into the sea, and did gather together 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 filled, having drawn up again upon the beach, and having sat down, they gathered the good into vessels, and the bad they did cast out,

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 in the full end of the age, the messengers shall come forth and separate the evil out of the midst of 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 shall cast them to the furnace of the fire, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.'

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

51 J esus saith to them, `Did ye understand all these?' They say to him, `Yes, sir.'

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

52 A nd he said to them, `Because of this every scribe having been discipled in regard to the reign of the heavens, is like to a man, a householder, who doth bring 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, when Jesus finished these similes, he removed thence,

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

54 a nd having come to his own country, he was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and were saying, `Whence to this one this wisdom and the 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, to this one all these?'

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

57 a nd they were stumbled at him. And Jesus said to them, `A prophet is not without honor except 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 there many mighty works, 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).