Matthew 13:1-26

1That day Jesus went out of 1the house and was sitting 2by the sea. 2And 3large crowds gathered to Him, so 4He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

3And He spoke many things to them in 5parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7Others fell 6among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a 7hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 98He who has ears, 9let him hear.”

10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 1110Jesus answered them, “11To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 1212For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while 13seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 1414In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘1516You will keep on hearing, 17but will not understand; 18You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;1519For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’ 1620But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17For truly I say to you that 21many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18“22Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears 23the 24word of the kingdom and does not understand it, 25the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the 26word, immediately he 2728falls away. 22And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of 29the 30world and the 31deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some 32a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “33The kingdom of heaven 34may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed 35tares among the wheat, and went away. 26But when the 36wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.