Mattityahu 13
13
1On that day, having gone out of the bais, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sat beside the lake.
2And many multitudes gathered together to him so that he got into a sirah (boat) to sit down, and the entire multitude stood along the shore.
3And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them many things in meshalim (parables), saying Hinei! The Sower went out to sow.#13:3 Seeds
4And while he sowed, on the one hand, this#13:4 Seed fell along the road, and the birds having come, devoured them.
5And others fell upon the rocky places, where there is not much soil, and immediately it sprouts on account of the lack of the soilʼs depth.
6And when the shemesh (sun) arose, the zera (seed) was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered.
7And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8But others fell on the adamah tovah (good ground), and they yielded fruit: the one, one hundred, the other, sixty, the other, thirty.
9The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear!
10And, approaching, the talmidim said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why in meshalim (parables) are you speaking to them?
11And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, Because to you it has been granted to have daas of the razim (mysteries) of the Malchut HaShomayim, but to those it has not been granted.
12For whoever has,#13:12 more will be given to him, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.#13:12 see Mt 25:14-29
13For this reason in meshalim I am speaking to them, for while seeing they do not see, and#13:13 while hearing they do not hear, nor do they have binah (understanding).
14And in them is fulfilled the nevuah (prophecy) of Yeshayah HaNavi, saying, SHIMU SHAMOA VAL TAVINU UREU RAO VAL TEIDAU (In hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive).
15HASHMEIN LEV HAAM HAZEH VAZNAV HACHBEID VEINAV HASHA, PEN YIREH VEINAV UVEAZNAV YISHMAH ULEVAVO YAVIN, VSHAV NRAFAH LOH.#13:15 Isa 6:9-10 (For the heart of this people has been made dull, and [their] ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are shut, lest they see with the their eyes and with [their] ears they hear, and with the lev (heart) they understand and they turn and I will give them refuah [healing]).
16But ashrey are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17For truly I say to you that many Neviim and tzaddikim desired to see what you see, and they did not see,#13:17 it and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it.
18You, therefore, listen to the mashal of the sower.
19When anyone hears the Dvar HaMalchut and does not have binah, HaRah (the Evil one) comes and seizes that which was sown in his lev (heart). This is the zera (seed) sown along the path.
20And the zera sown upon the rocky places is the person listening to the Dvar Hashem and immediately with simcha receives it.
21Yet he has no root in himself but is short-lived, and when ES TZARAH comes or persecution on account of the Dvar Hashem, immediately he ceases being a maamin Meshichi (Messianic believer) and becomes meshummad (apostate), falling away and giving up the#13:21 true Orthodox Jewish faith.#13:21 Jer 30:7
22And the#13:22 zera sown among the thorns is the one hearing the dvar (word), and the rogez HaOlam Hazeh#13:22 Dt 28:65 (the anxiety of this age) and the mirmah (deceit) of riches, choke the Dvar Hashem and it becomes unfruitful.#13:22 Isa 53:9
23And the zera sown upon the adamah tovah (the good ground), this is the one who hears the Dvar Hashem and, understanding,#13:23 it indeed bears pri and, one produces a hundred, the other sixty, the other thirty.
24Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man sowing zera tov (good seed) in his field.
25But while men slept, his oyev (enemy) came and oversowed weeds in between the wheat and went away.
26But when the wheat sprouted and produced pri, then the weeds also appeared.
27So the servants of the Baal Bayit said to him, Adoneinu, did you not sow zera tov (good seed) in your field? How then does it have weeds?
28And he said to them, An oyev did this. So the servants say to him, Do you want us to go and pull them all?
29But he says, No, lest gathering the weeds you should uproot the wheat together with them.
30Permit both to grow together until the Katzir (harvest); and in time of the Katzir, I will say to the kotzerim, Collect first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn them. But the wheat gather into my storehouse.
31Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.
32This that is indeed less than all the zeraim (seeds), but when it grows, it is larger than the garden vegetables and it becomes an etz (tree), so that the OPH HASHOMAYIM#13:32 Job 35:11 come and dwell in its branches.
33Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke to them. The Malchut HaShomayim is like seor (leaven), which having taken, a woman hid in three satas of wheat flour until the whole was leavened.
34All these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke in meshalim to the multitudes. And apart from meshalim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not speak to them:
35So that might be fulfilled what was spoken through the Navi, saying, EFTCHA VMASHAL PI AVIAH CHIDOT (I will open my mouth with parables, I will utter things having been hidden) from the foundation of the world — Ps 78:2.
36Then having sent away the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the bais (house). And Moshiachʼs talmidim approached him, saying, Explain to us the mashal of the weeds of the field.
37And answering, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, The Sower of the zera tov is the Bar Enosh (Moshiach).
38The field is HaOlam Hazeh. And the zera tov, the good seed, these are the Bnei HaMalchut, and the weeds, these are the bnei HaRah#13:38 Gn 3:15 (sons of the Evil one).
39And the Oyev (the Enemy) sowing them is HaSatan. And the Katzir (Harvest), this is HaKetz HaOlam (the end of the age). And the kotzerim (reapers, harvesters) are malachim (angels).
40As the weeds are pulled up and gathered and are consumed with Eish (Fire), so also it will be at the Ketz HaOlam.
41The Bar Enosh#13:41 Moshiach will send forth his malachim, and they will pull up and gather out of the Moshiachʼs Malchut all the things making meshummad (apostate) and the ones who are without gezetz (law) and antinomian.#13:41 see Ro 6:1-2
42And Moshiachʼs malachim will throw them into the furnace of Eish; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
43Then the tzaddikim will shine as the shemesh (sun) in the Malchut of their Father. The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear.
44The Malchut HaShomayim is like otzar (treasure) hidden in the field, which, having found, a man hid. And from the simcha he experienced, he goes away and sells everything he has and buys that field.
45Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46And having found one precious peninah (pearl), he went away and liquidated everything he had and acquired it.
47Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a reshet (net) having been cast into the lake, a reshet collecting and gathering dagim (fish) of all descriptions,
48which, when this reshet (net) was filled, they hoisted it upon the shore, sat down, collected the tov (good) into a creel, and the rah (evil), they threw out.
49Thus it will be at HaKetz HaOlam Hazeh (The End of This World). The malachim will go out and they will separate the resha'im from among the tzaddikim.
50And they will throw the resha'im into the furnace of Eish. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51Did you have binah of all these things? They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Ken.
52So Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Therefore, every sofer (scribe, torah teacher, rabbi) who becomes a talmid of the Malchut HaShomayim is like a man#13:52 who is a Baal Bayit, who takes out of his otzar (treasure), chadashot (new things) and also yeshanot (old things).
53And it came about when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach finished these meshalim, that he went away from there.
54And having come into Moshiachʼs shtetl, he began ministering as a moreh (teacher) in their shul, so that they were amazed and said, From where did this chochmah come to this one, this chochmah and these moftim (miracles, wonders, omens)?
55Is this not the ben hanaggar (the carpenterʼs son)? Is not his Em called Miryam? And are not his achim Ya'akov,#13:55 T.N. This is the author of the one of the Igrot Kodesh called Ya'akov. Yosef, Shim'on and Yehuda?#13:55 See one of the Igrot Kodesh called Yehuda, of which he is the author.
56And are not his achayot (sisters) with us? From where, therefore, came to this one all these things?
57And they were taking offense at Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, A Navi (prophet) is not without honor except in his hometown and in his bais.
58And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not accomplish in that place many moftim, because of their lack of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust).
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Mattityahu 13: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Matthew 13
13
A Harvest Story
1-3a At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.
3b-8 “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
9“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Why Tell Stories?
10The disciples came up and asked, “Why do you tell stories?”
11-15He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward a welcome awakening. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. I don’t want Isaiah’s forecast repeated all over again:
Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing.
The people are stupid!
They stick their fingers in their ears
so they won’t have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
so they won’t have to look,
so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.
16-17“But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.
The Meaning of the Harvest Story
18-19“Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.
20-21“The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
22“The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.
23“The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”
* * *
24-26He told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.
27“The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn’t it? Where did these thistles come from?’
28“He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’
“The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’
29-30“He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’”
31-32Another story. “God’s kingdom is like an acorn that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge oak tree, and eagles build nests in it.”
33Another story. “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises.”
34-35All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy:
I will open my mouth and tell stories;
I will bring out into the open
things hidden since the world’s first day.
The Curtain of History
36Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, “Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field.”
37-39So he explained. “The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.
40-43“The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father.
“Are you listening to this? Really listening?
44“God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.
45-46“Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for exquisite pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
47-50“Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”
51Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?”
They answered, “Yes.”
52He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”
53-57When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He stole the show, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise, get such ability?” But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” They got all bent out of shape.
58But Jesus said, “A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family.” He didn’t do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.