Matthew 13:14-58

141In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘23You will keep on hearing, 4but will not understand; 5You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;156For 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.’ 167But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17For truly I say to you that 8many 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“9Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears 10the 11word of the kingdom and does not understand it, 12the 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 13word, immediately he 1415falls away. 22And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of 16the 17world and the 18deceitfulness 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 19a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “20The kingdom of heaven 21may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed 22tares among the wheat, and went away. 26But when the 23wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? 24How then does it have tares?’ 28And he said to them, ‘An 25enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but 26gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

31He presented another parable to them, saying, “27The kingdom of heaven is like 28a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that 29the birds of the 30air come and nest in its branches.”

33He spoke another parable to them, “31The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in 32three 33pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them 34without a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “35I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

36Then He left the crowds and went into 36the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “37Explain to us the parable of the 38tares of the field.” 37And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is 39the Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are 40the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are 41the sons of 42the evil one; 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is 43the 44end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at 45the 46end of the age. 4147The Son of Man 48will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom 49all 50stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and 51will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place 52there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 4353Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 54He who has ears, 55let him hear.

44“56The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and 57sells all that he has and buys that field.

45“Again, 58the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47“Again, 59the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49So it will be at 60the 61end of the age; the angels will come forth and 62take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50and 63will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place 64there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52And 65Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

5366When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 5467He came to 68His hometown and 69began teaching them in their synagogue, so that 70they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these 71miraculous powers? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not 72His mother called Mary, and His 73brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And 74His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took 75offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “76A prophet is not without honor except in his 77hometown and in his own household.” 58And He did not do many 78miracles there because of their unbelief.