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13 In that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat beside the sea.

And much people was gathered to him, so that he went up into a boat, and sat; and all the people stood on the brink. [And many companies were gathered to him, so that he ascending into a boat sat; and all the company stood in the brink.]

And he spake to them many things in parables, and said [saying], Lo! he that soweth, went out to sow his seed.

And while he soweth, some seeds felled [fell] beside the way, and birds of the air came, and ate them.

But other seeds [Soothly other] felled into stony places, where they had not much earth; and at once [and anon] they sprung up, for they had not deepness of earth.

But when the sun was risen, they parched [they sweltered, or burned for heat], and for they had not root, they dried up.

And other seeds [Forsooth other] felled among thorns; and the thorns waxed up, and strangled them.

But other seeds [But other] felled into good land, and gave fruit; some an hundredfold, another sixtyfold, [and] another thirtyfold.

He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.

10 And the disciples came nigh, and said to him, Why speakest thou in parables to them?

11 And he answered, and said to them, For to you it is given to know the privates of the kingdom of heavens; but it is not given to them.[a]

12 For it shall be given to him that hath, and he shall have plenty; but if a man hath not [truly who that hath not], also that thing that he hath shall be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, for they seeing see not, and they hearing hear not, neither understand;

14 that the prophecy of Esaias' saying be fulfilled in them [that the prophecy of Easias be filled in them, that saith], With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand; and ye seeing shall see, and ye shall not see;

15 for the heart of this people is greatly fatted[b], and they heard heavily with ears, and they have closed their eyes, lest sometime they see with eyes, and with ears hear, and understand in heart, and they be converted, and I heal them.

16 But your eyes that see be blessed, and your ears that hear.

17 Forsooth I say [truly] to you, that many prophets and just men coveted to see those things that ye see, and they saw not, and to hear those things that ye hear, and they heard not.

18 Therefore hear ye the parable of the sower.

19 Each that heareth the word of the realm, and understandeth not, the evil spirit cometh, and snatcheth (up) that that is sown in his heart; this it is [this is he], that is sown beside the way.

20 But this that is sown on the stony land, this it is [Forsooth he that is sown in stony land, is this], that heareth the word of God, and anon with joy taketh it.

21 And he hath not root in himself, but is temporal. For when tribulation and persecution is made for the word, at once he is caused to stumble [anon he is offended].

22 But he that is sown in thorns, is this that heareth the word, and the busyness of this world, and the fallacy of riches strangleth the word [and the falseness of riches strangle the word], and it is made without fruit.

23 But he that is sown into good land, is this that heareth the word, and understandeth, and bringeth forth fruit. And some maketh an hundredfold, truly another sixtyfold and another thirtyfold.

24 Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said [saying], The kingdom of heavens is made like to a man, that sowed good seed in his field.

25 And when men slept, his enemy came, and sowed above tares in the middle of [the] wheat, and went away.[c]

26 But when the herb was grown [Soothly when the herb had grown], and made fruit, then the tares appeared.

27 And the servants of the husbandman came, and said to him, Lord, whether hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whereof then hath it tares?

28 And he said to them, An enemy hath done this thing. And the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go, and gather them?

29 And he said, Nay, lest peradventure ye in gathering [the] tares draw up with them [also] the wheat by the root.[d]

30 Suffer ye them both to wax into reaping time; and in the time of ripe corn I shall say to the reapers, First gather ye together the tares, and bind them together in knitches to be burnt, but gather ye the wheat into my barn.[e]

31 Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said [saying], The kingdom of heavens is like to a corn of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.

32 Which [truly] is the least of all seeds, but when it hath waxen, it is the most of all worts, and is made a tree; so that birds of the air come, and dwell in the boughs thereof[f].

33 Another parable Jesus spake to them [He spake another parable to them], The kingdom of heavens is like to sourdough, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it were all soured.

34 Jesus spake all these things in parables to the people [Jesus spake all these things in parables to the companies], and he spake not to them without parables,

35 that it should be fulfilled, that is said by the prophet, saying, I shall open my mouth in parables; I shall tell out hid things from the making of the world.[g]

36 Then he let go the people, and came into an house; and his disciples came to him, and said [Then the companies left, he came into an house; and his disciples came nigh to him, saying], Expound to us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 Which answered, and said, He that soweth good seed is man's Son;

38 the field is the world; but the good seed, be sons of the kingdom, but tares, these be evil children;[h]

39 the enemy that soweth them is the fiend [but the enemy that soweth them is the devil]; and the ripe corn is the ending of the world, [forsooth] the reapers be angels.

40 Therefore as tares be gathered together, and be burnt in fire [and burnt in the fire], so it shall be in the ending of the world.

41 Man's Son shall send his angels, and they shall gather from his realm all causes of stumbling [and they shall gather of his realm all offences], and them that do wickedness;

42 and they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping and beating together of teeth.

43 Then just men shall shine as the sun, in the realm of their Father. He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.

44 The kingdom of heavens is like to treasure hid in a field, which a man that findeth, hideth; and for joy of it he goeth [and for joy thereof he goeth], and selleth all things that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a merchant, that seeketh good margarites; [Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a man merchant, seeking good pearls;]

46 but when he hath found one precious margarite [soothly one precious pearl found], he went, and sold all things that he had, and bought it.

47 Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a net cast into the sea, and that gathereth together of all kinds of fishes [of all kind of fishes];

48 which when it was full, they drew it up, and sat by the brink, and chose the good into their vessels, but the evil they cast out [but they cast out the evil].

49 So it shall be in the end of the world. Angels shall go out, and shall separate evil men from the middle of just men. [So it shall be in the ending of the world. Angels shall go out, and shall part evil men from the midst of just men.]

50 And they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping and grinding of teeth [there shall be weeping and beating together of teeth].

51 Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea.

52 He saith to them, Therefore every wise man of [the] law in the kingdom of heavens [Therefore every writer taught in the kingdom of heavens], is like to an husbandman, that bringeth forth of his treasure new things and old.

53 And it was done, when Jesus had ended these parables, he passed from thence.

54 And he came into his country, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered, and said, From whence this wisdom and works of power came to this [Whereof to him this wisdom and virtues]?

55 Whether this is not the son of a carpenter [Whether is not this the son of a carpenter]? Whether his mother be not said Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?

56 and his sisters, whether they all be not among us? From whence then all these things come to this [Therefore whereof to him all these things]?

57 And so they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour [A prophet is not without worship], but in his own country, and in his own house.

58 And he did not there many works of power [And he did not there many virtues], for the unbelief of them.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:11 Which answering said unto them, For to you it is given to know the mysteries, or privates, of the kingdom of heavens; but it is not given to them.
  2. Matthew 13:15 for the heart of this people is enfatted/is greatly made fat
  3. Matthew 13:25 But, when men slept, his enemy came, and sowed above tares, or cockles, in the midst of the wheat, and went away.
  4. Matthew 13:29 And he said, Nay, lest peradventure ye gathering tares, or cockles, draw up by the root with them also the wheat.
  5. Matthew 13:30 Suffer ye them both wax till to the ripe corn; and in the time of the ripe corn I shall say to the reapers, First gather ye together tares/the darnels, or cockles, and bind them together in knitches, or small bundles, to be burnt, but gather ye the wheat into my barn.
  6. Matthew 13:32 so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the bows, or branches, thereof
  7. Matthew 13:35 that it should be fulfilled, which is said by the prophet, saying, I shall open my mouth in parables; I shall tell out things hid from the making of the world.
  8. Matthew 13:38 soothly the field is the world; but the good seed, these be the sons of the realm, tares, or cockles, these be sons of the wicked;

The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)(C)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house(D) and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(E) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(F) sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(G)

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(H) has been given to you,(I) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(J) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(K)

14 In them is fulfilled(L) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a](M)

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(N) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(O) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(P) and does not understand it, the evil one(Q) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(R) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(S) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(T)

The Parable of the Weeds

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(U) a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”(V)

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(W)(X)

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(Y) a mustard seed,(Z) which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(AA)

33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(AB) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[b] of flour(AC) until it worked all through the dough.”(AD)

34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(AE) 35 So was fulfilled(AF) what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[c](AG)

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(AH) of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(AI) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(AJ) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(AK) is the end of the age,(AL) and the harvesters are angels.(AM)

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man(AN) will send out his angels,(AO) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AP) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(AQ) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.(AR)

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(AS) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(AT)

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(AU) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(AV) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(AW) of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous(AX) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AY)

51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore 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 new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor(AZ)

53 When Jesus had finished these parables,(BA) he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,(BB) and they were amazed.(BC) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(BD) Isn’t his mother’s(BE) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers(BF) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense(BG) at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(BH)

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
  2. Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
  3. Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2