Matthew 13
13
A Story about a Farmer
(Mark 4:1–20; Luke 8:4–15)
1That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee. 2The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore. 3Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things.
He said, “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. 4Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren’t deep enough. 7Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them. 8But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. 9Let the person who has ears listen!”
10The disciples asked him, “Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?”
11Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. 12Those who understand ⌞these mysteries⌟ will be given ⌞more knowledge⌟, and they will excel ⌞in understanding them⌟. However, some people don’t understand ⌞these mysteries⌟. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. 13This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but they don’t listen. They don’t even try to understand. 14So they make Isaiah’s prophecy come true:
‘You will hear clearly but never understand.
You will see clearly but never comprehend.
15These people have become close-minded
and hard of hearing.
They have shut their eyes
so that their eyes never see.
Their ears never hear.
Their minds never understand.
And they never return to me for healing!’
16“Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. 17I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God’s people longed to see what you see but didn’t see it, to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it.
18“Listen to what the story about the farmer means. 19Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates. 20The seed planted on rocky ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. 21Since he doesn’t have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls ⌞from faith⌟. 22The seed planted among thornbushes ⌞is another person who⌟ hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. 23But the seed planted on good ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.”
A Story about Weeds in the Wheat
24Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. 26When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared.
27“The owner’s workers came to him and asked, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
28“He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’
“His workers asked him, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’
29“He replied, ‘No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I’ll have them bring the wheat into my barn.’ ”
Stories about a Mustard Seed and Yeast
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–21)
31Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone planted in a field. 32It’s one of the smallest seeds. However, when it has grown, it is taller than the garden plants. It becomes a tree that is large enough for birds to nest in its branches.”
33He used another illustration. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until the yeast worked its way through all the dough.”
34Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story. 35So what the prophet had said came true:
“I will open my mouth to illustrate points.
I will tell what has been hidden since the world was made.”
The Meaning of the Weeds in the Wheat
36When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means.”
37He answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. 39The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels. 40Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. 41The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. 42The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. 43Then the people who have God’s approval will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!
Stories about a Treasure, a Merchant, and a Net
44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man discovered it, he buried it again. He was so delighted with it that he went away, sold everything he had, and bought that field.
45“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. 46When he found a valuable pearl, he went away, sold everything he had, and bought it.
47“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea. It gathered all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, they pulled it to the shore. Then they sat down, gathered the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49The same thing will happen at the end of time. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from people who have God’s approval. 50Then the angels will throw the evil people into a blazing furnace. They will cry and be in extreme pain there.
51“Have you understood all of this?”
“Yes,” they answered.
52So Jesus said to them, “That is why every student of the Scriptures who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
53When Jesus had finished these illustrations, he left that place.
Nazareth Rejects Jesus
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:14–30)
54Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in the synagogue in a way that amazed them. People were asking, “Where did this man get this wisdom and the power to do these miracles? 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary? Aren’t his brothers’ names James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where, then, did this man get all this?” 57So they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown and in his own house.”
58He didn’t work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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Matthew 13: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 13
13
1And that same day Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea. 2And great crowds were gathered together to him, so that going on board ship himself he sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow: 4and as he sowed, some grains fell along the way, and the birds came and devoured them; 5and others fell upon the rocky places where they had not much earth, and immediately they sprang up out of the ground because of not having any depth of earth, 6but when the sun rose they were burned up, and because of not having any root were dried up; 7and others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them; 8and others fell upon the good ground, and produced fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty. 9He that has ears, let him hear. 10And the disciples came up and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11And he answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given; 12for whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be caused to be in abundance; but he who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13For this cause I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor understand; 14and in them is filled up the prophecy of Esaias, which says, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and beholding ye shall behold and not see; 15for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they have heard heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes as asleep, lest they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear; 17for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye behold and did not see them, and to hear the things which ye hear and did not hear them. 18Ye, therefore, hear the parable of the sower. 19From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart: this is he that is sown by the wayside. 20But he that is sown on the rocky places — this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21but has no root in himself, but is for a time only; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word, he is immediately offended. 22And he that is sown among the thorns — this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he that is sown upon the good ground — this is he who hears and understands the word, who bears fruit also, and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty.
24Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man sowing good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel amongst the wheat, and went away. 26But when the blade shot up and produced fruit, then appeared the darnel also. 27And the bondmen of the householder came up and said to him, Sir, hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whence then has it darnel? 28And he said to them, A man that is an enemy has done this. And the bondmen said to him, Wilt thou then that we should go and gather it up? 29But he said, No; lest in gathering the darnel ye should root up the wheat with it. 30Suffer both to grow together unto the harvest, and in time of the harvest I will say to the harvestmen, Gather first the darnel, and bind it into bundles to burn it; but the wheat bring together into my granary. 31Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32which is less indeed than all seeds, but when it is grown is greater than herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches. 33He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it had been all leavened. 34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them, 35so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the world's foundation. 36Then, having dismissed the crowds, he went into the house; and his disciples came to him, saying, Expound to us the parable of the darnel of the field. 37But he answering said, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man, 38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy who has sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is the completion of the age, and the harvestmen are angels. 40As then the darnel is gathered and is burned in the fire, thus it shall be in the completion of the age. 41The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offences, and those that practise lawlessness; 42and they shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears, let him hear.
44The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hid in the field, which a man having found has hid, and for the joy of it goes and sells all whatever he has, and buys that field. 45Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; 46and having found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all whatever he had and bought it. 47Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a seine which has been cast into the sea, and which has gathered together of every kind, 48which, when it has been filled, having drawn up on the shore and sat down, they gathered the good into vessels and cast the worthless out. 49Thus shall it be in the completion of the age: the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from the midst of the just, 50and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 51Jesus says to them, Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea, Lord. 52And he said to them, For this reason every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
53And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables he withdrew thence. 54And having come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom and these works of power? 55Is not this the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? 56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all these things? 57And they were offended in him. And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, unless in his country and in his house. 58And he did not there many works of power, because of their unbelief.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.