Amos 1-3
New American Standard Bible
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he saw in visions concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake.
2 And he said,
“The (F)Lord roars from Zion,
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [a](H)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 This is what the Lord says:
“For (I)three offenses of (J)Damascus, and for four,
I will not [b]revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
And it will consume the citadels of (K)Ben-hadad.
5 I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus,
And eliminate every inhabitant from the [c]Valley of Aven,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will be exiled to (M)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (N)Gaza, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they led into exile an entire population
To (O)turn them over to Edom.
7 So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
8 I will also eliminate every inhabitant from (P)Ashdod,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from (Q)Ashkelon;
And I will direct My [d]power against Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord [e]God.
9 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (S)Tyre, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they turned an entire population over to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [f](T)brotherhood.
10 So I will (U)send fire on the wall of Tyre,
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (V)Edom, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword
And stifled his compassion;
His anger also (X)tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of the sons of (Z)Ammon, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AA)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (AB)enlarge their borders.
14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (AC)Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid [g](AD)war cries on the day of battle,
And amid a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 Their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Moab
2 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (AG)Moab, and for four,
I will not [h]revoke its punishment,
Because he (AH)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of (AI)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid the (AJ)panic of battle,
Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also eliminate the [i](AK)judge from her midst
And slay all her (AL)leaders with him,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah
4 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (AM)Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AN)rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [j](AO)lies also have led them astray,
Those which their (AP)fathers followed.
5 So I will (AQ)send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (AR)Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AS)sell the righteous for [k]money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 These who [l]trample the head of the (AT)helpless to the dust of the earth
Also (AU)divert the way of the humble;
And a (AV)man and his father [m]resort to the same [n]girl
So as to profane My holy name.
8 And on garments (AW)seized as pledges they stretch out beside (AX)every altar,
And in the house of their God they (AY)drink the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the (AZ)Amorite before them,
[o]Though his (BA)height was like the height of cedars
And he was as strong as the oaks;
I also destroyed his (BB)fruit above and his roots below.
10 And it was I who (BC)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And led you in the wilderness for (BD)forty years
So that you might take possession of the land of the (BE)Amorite.
11 Then I (BF)raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
And some of your young men to be (BG)Nazirites.
Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You (BH)shall not prophesy!’
13 Behold, I am (BI)making a rut in the ground beneath you,
Just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.
14 (BJ)Refuge will be lost from the swift,
And the strong will not strengthen his power,
Nor the (BK)warrior save his [p]life.
15 The one who (BL)grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will the one who rides the (BM)horse save his [q]life.
16 Even the [r]bravest among the warriors will (BN)flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.
All the Tribes Are Guilty
3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [s](BO)family which [t]He brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 “(BP)You only have I [u]known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [v](BQ)punish you for all your wrongdoing.”
3 Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
4 Does a (BR)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion [w]growl from his den unless he has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [x]device in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (BS)trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble?
If a (BT)disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?
7 [y]Certainly the Lord [z]God does nothing
Unless He (BU)reveals His secret plan
To His servants the prophets.
8 A (BV)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The (BW)Lord God has spoken! (BX)Who can do anything but prophesy?
9 Proclaim on the citadels in (BY)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the (BZ)mountains of Samaria and see the great panic within her and the (CA)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (CB)do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who (CC)store up [aa]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“An (CD)enemy, one surrounding the land,
Will take down your fortifications from you,
And your (CE)citadels will be looted.”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the shepherd [ab](CF)snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel living in Samaria be [ac]snatched away—
With the (CG)corner of a bed and the [ad](CH)cover of a couch!
13 Hear and (CI)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord God, the God of armies.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s offenses,
I will also punish the altars of (CJ)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off,
And will fall to the ground.
15 I will also strike the (CK)winter house together with the (CL)summer house;
The houses of [ae](CM)ivory will also perish,
And the (CN)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 1:2 Lit head
- Amos 1:3 Lit cause it to turn back, and so throughout the ch
- Amos 1:5 Possibly Baalbek
- Amos 1:8 Lit hand
- Amos 1:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Amos 1:9 Lit brothers
- Amos 1:14 Or shouts
- Amos 2:1 Lit cause it to turn back, and so throughout the ch
- Amos 2:3 Or executive officer
- Amos 2:4 Or false gods
- Amos 2:6 Lit silver
- Amos 2:7 Or pant for the dust...on the head of the helpless
- Amos 2:7 Lit go
- Amos 2:7 Possibly a prostitute, or a temple prostitute
- Amos 2:9 Lit Whose height
- Amos 2:14 Lit soul
- Amos 2:15 Lit soul
- Amos 2:16 Lit strong of his heart
- Amos 3:1 I.e., nation
- Amos 3:1 Lit I
- Amos 3:2 Or chosen
- Amos 3:2 Lit visit
- Amos 3:4 Lit give his voice
- Amos 3:5 Lit snare
- Amos 3:7 Or For
- Amos 3:7 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Amos 3:10 I.e., the plunder from violence
- Amos 3:12 Or rescues
- Amos 3:12 Or rescued
- Amos 3:12 Or headrest; lit damask
- Amos 3:15 I.e., ivory inlay
Amos 1-3
New King James Version
Judgments on Israel’s Neighbors
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepbreeders of (B)Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake.
2 And he said:
“The Lord (F)roars from Zion,
And utters His voice from Jerusalem;
The pastures of the shepherds mourn,
And the top of (G)Carmel withers.”
Judgment on the Nations
3 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (H)Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have (I)threshed Gilead with implements of iron.
4 (J)But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael,
Which shall devour the palaces of (K)Ben-Hadad.
5 I will also break the gate (L)bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who [a]holds the scepter from [b]Beth Eden.
The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (M)Gaza, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they took captive the whole captivity
To deliver them up to Edom.
7 (N)But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.
8 I will cut off the inhabitant (O)from Ashdod,
And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will (P)turn My hand against Ekron,
And (Q)the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
Says the Lord God.
9 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (R)Tyre, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom,
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
Which shall devour its palaces.”
11 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (S)Edom, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he pursued his (T)brother with the sword,
And cast off all pity;
His anger tore perpetually,
And he kept his wrath forever.
12 But (U)I will send a fire upon Teman,
Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (V)the people of Ammon, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead,
That they might enlarge their territory.
14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of (W)Rabbah,
And it shall devour its palaces,
(X)Amid shouting in the day of battle,
And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind.
15 (Y)Their king shall go into captivity,
He and his princes together,”
Says the Lord.
Judgment on Israel
2 Thus says the Lord:
(Z)“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he (AA)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab,
And it shall devour the palaces of (AB)Kerioth;
Moab shall die with tumult,
With shouting and trumpet sound.
3 And I will cut off (AC)the judge from its midst,
And slay all its princes with him,”
Says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah
4 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (AD)Judah, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
(AE)Because they have despised the law of the Lord,
And have not kept His commandments.
(AF)Their lies lead them astray,
Lies (AG)which their fathers followed.
5 (AH)But I will send a fire upon Judah,
And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of (AI)Israel, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because (AJ)they sell the righteous for silver,
And the (AK)poor for a pair of sandals.
7 They [c]pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,
And (AL)pervert the way of the humble.
(AM)A man and his father go in to the same girl,
(AN)To defile My holy name.
8 They lie down (AO)by every altar on clothes (AP)taken in pledge,
And drink the wine of [d]the condemned in the house of their god.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the (AQ)Amorite before them,
Whose height was like the (AR)height of the cedars,
And he was as strong as the oaks;
Yet I (AS)destroyed his fruit above
And his roots beneath.
10 Also it was (AT)I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And (AU)led you forty years through the wilderness,
To possess the land of the Amorite.
11 I raised up some of your sons as (AV)prophets,
And some of your young men as (AW)Nazirites.
Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”
Says the Lord.
12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,
And commanded the prophets (AX)saying,
‘Do not prophesy!’
13 “Behold,(AY) I am [e]weighed down by you,
As a cart full of sheaves [f]is weighed down.
14 (AZ)Therefore [g]flight shall perish from the swift,
The strong shall not strengthen his power,
(BA)Nor shall the mighty [h]deliver himself;
15 He shall not stand who handles the bow,
The swift of foot shall not [i]escape,
Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.
16 The most [j]courageous men of might
Shall flee naked in that day,”
Says the Lord.
Authority of the Prophet’s Message
3 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You(BB) only have I known of all the families of the earth;
(BC)Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion [k]cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no [l]trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a [m]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
(BD)If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless (BE)He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
(BF)Who can but prophesy?
Punishment of Israel’s Sins
9 “Proclaim in the palaces at [n]Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the [o]oppressed within her.
10 For they (BG)do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and [p]robbery in their palaces.’ ”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the Lord:
“As a shepherd [q]takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and [r]on the edge of a couch!
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of (BH)Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15 I will [s]destroy (BI)the winter house along with (BJ)the summer house;
The (BK)houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 1:5 Rules
- Amos 1:5 Lit. House of Eden
- Amos 2:7 Or trample on
- Amos 2:8 Or those punished by fines
- Amos 2:13 Or tottering under
- Amos 2:13 Or totters
- Amos 2:14 Or the place of refuge
- Amos 2:14 Lit. save his soul or life
- Amos 2:15 Or save
- Amos 2:16 Lit. strong of his heart among the mighty
- Amos 3:4 Lit. give his voice
- Amos 3:5 Or bait or lure
- Amos 3:6 ram’s horn
- Amos 3:9 So with MT; LXX Assyria
- Amos 3:9 Or oppression
- Amos 3:10 Or devastation
- Amos 3:12 Or snatches
- Amos 3:12 Heb. uncertain, possibly on the cover
- Amos 3:15 Lit. strike
Matthew 13
New American Standard Bible
Jesus Teaches in Parables
13 On that day Jesus had gone out of (A)the house and was sitting (B)by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so (C)He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3 And He told them many things in (D)parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell [a]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a (E)hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 (F)The one who has ears, [b]let him hear.”
An Explanation for Parables
10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [c]Jesus answered them, “(G)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 (H)For 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. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while (I)seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [d]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[e](J)You shall keep on listening, [f]but shall not understand;
And [g]you shall keep on looking, [h]but shall not perceive;
15 (K)For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’
16 (L)But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that (M)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “(N)Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears (O)the [i]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, (P)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [j]word, immediately he [k](Q)falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of (R)the [l]world and the (S)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [m]becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some (T)a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
Weeds among Wheat
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “(U)The kingdom of heaven [n]is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [o]weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the [p]wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [q]How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘[r]An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but (V)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Mustard Seed
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(W)The kingdom of heaven is like (X)a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (Y)the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Leaven
33 He spoke another parable to them: “(Z)The kingdom of heaven is like [s]leaven, which a woman took and hid in (AA)three [t]sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them (AB)without a parable. 35 This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be [u]fulfilled:
“(AC)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Weeds Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went into (AD)the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “(AE)Explain to us the parable of the [v]weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is (AF)the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are (AG)the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are (AH)the sons of (AI)the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is (AJ)the [w]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (AK)the [x]end of the age. 41 (AL)The Son of Man (AM)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [y]all (AN)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they (AO)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (AP)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 (AQ)Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (AR)The one who has ears, [z]let him hear.
Hidden Treasure
44 “(AS)The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from [aa]joy over it he goes and (AT)sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, (AU)the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, (AV)the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at (AW)the [ab]end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and they (AX)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (AY)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And [ac]Jesus 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 new things and old.”
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53 (AZ)When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 And (BA)He came to [ad]His hometown and (BB)began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that (BC)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these [ae]miraculous powers? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is (BD)His mother not called Mary, and His (BE)brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And (BF)His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” 57 And they took (BG)offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “(BH)A prophet is not dishonored except in his [af]hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many [ag]miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:7 Lit upon
- Matthew 13:9 Or hear! Or listen!
- Matthew 13:11 Lit He
- Matthew 13:14 Lit for them
- Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you shall hear; a Heb idiom
- Matthew 13:14 Lit and
- Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you shall see
- Matthew 13:14 Lit and
- Matthew 13:19 I.e., message
- Matthew 13:21 I.e., message
- Matthew 13:21 I.e., from the faith
- Matthew 13:22 Or age
- Matthew 13:22 Or proves to be unfruitful
- Matthew 13:24 Lit has been compared to
- Matthew 13:25 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:26 Lit grass
- Matthew 13:27 Lit From where
- Matthew 13:28 Lit A hostile person
- Matthew 13:33 I.e., fermented dough
- Matthew 13:33 A Gr term for a Heb measure, totaling about 48 lb. or 22 kg of flour
- Matthew 13:35 Lit fulfilled, saying
- Matthew 13:36 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:39 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:40 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:41 Or everything that is offensive
- Matthew 13:43 Or hear! Or listen!
- Matthew 13:44 Or his joy, he goes
- Matthew 13:49 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:52 Lit He
- Matthew 13:54 Or His own part of the country
- Matthew 13:54 Or miracles
- Matthew 13:57 Or own part of the country
- Matthew 13:58 Or works of power
Matthew 13
New King James Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)
13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house (B)and sat by the sea. 2 (C)And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that (D)He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: (E)“Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some (F)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 (G)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(H)
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because (I)it has been given to you to know the [a]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 (J)For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
(K)‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not (L)perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears (M)are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have (N)closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I [b]should (O)heal them.’
16 But (P)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you (Q)that many 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.
The Parable of the Sower Explained(R)
18 (S)“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word (T)of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately (U)receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when (V)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately (W)he stumbles. 22 Now (X)he who received seed (Y)among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears (Z)fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but (AA)gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(AB)
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: (AC)“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a (AD)tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven(AE)
33 (AF)Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three [c]measures of meal till (AG)it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and the Parables
34 (AH)All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
(AI)“I will open My mouth in parables;
(AJ)I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Tares Explained
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 (AK)The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are (AL)the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, (AM)the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, (AN)and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 (AO)and will cast them into the furnace of fire. (AP)There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 (AQ)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (AR)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and (AS)sells all that he has and (AT)buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found (AU)one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and (AV)gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, (AW)separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51 [d]Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, [e]Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every [f]scribe instructed [g]concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure (AX)things new and old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth(AY)
53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 (AZ)When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 (BA)Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And (BB)His brothers (BC)James, [h]Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they (BD)were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, (BE)“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now (BF)He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:11 secret or hidden truths
- Matthew 13:15 NU, M would
- Matthew 13:33 Gr. sata, same as a Heb. seah; approximately 2 pecks in all
- Matthew 13:51 NU omits Jesus said to them
- Matthew 13:51 NU omits Lord
- Matthew 13:52 A scholar of the Old Testament
- Matthew 13:52 Or for
- Matthew 13:55 NU Joseph
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
