Matthew 13:27-52

27The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’

28“‘An enemy did this,’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him.

29“‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them.

30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”

31He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

32It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.”

34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable,

35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open my mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

38the field is the world; and the good seed — these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,

39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness.

42They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.

44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.

46When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish,

48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones.

49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,

50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51“Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes.”

52“Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”