Matthew 13:19-38

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.”

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.’ ”

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.”

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.