Matthew 13-14 (English Standard Version)

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

 ¹That same day Jesus went out of the house^(A) and sat beside the sea. ²And great crowds gathered about him,^(B) so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³And^(C) he told them many things in parables, saying: ^(D) "A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶but^(E) when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root,^(F) they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among^(G) thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some^(H) a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ^9(I) He who has ears,^[a] let him hear."

The Purpose of the Parables

 ¹⁰Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" ¹¹And he answered them, ^(J) "To you it has been given to know^(K) the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ^12(L) For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not,^(M) even what he has will be taken away. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables, because^(N) seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,^(O) nor do they understand. ¹⁴Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

   ^(P) "'You will indeed hear but never understand,
   and you will indeed see but never perceive.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown dull,
   and with their ears^(Q) they can barely hear,
   and^(R) their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
   and hear with their ears
and^(S) understand with their heart
   and^(T) turn, and I would heal them.'

 ¹⁶But^(U) blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ^17(V) For truly, I say to you,^(W) 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 Parable of the Sower Explained

 ^18(X) "Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of^(Y) the kingdom and^(Z) does not understand it,^(AA) the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately^(AB) receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but^(AC) endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately^(AD) he falls away.^{[b] 22}As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but^(AE) the cares of^(AF) the world and^(AG) the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and^(AH) understands it. He indeed^(AI) bears fruit and yields, in one case^(AJ) a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

The Parable of the Weeds

 ²⁴He put another parable before them, saying, ^(AK) "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[c] among the wheat and went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷And the servants^[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' ²⁸He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' ²⁹But he said,^(AL) 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers,^(AM) Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

 ³¹He put another parable before them, saying, ^(AN) "The kingdom of heaven is like^(AO) a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³²It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

 ³³He told them another parable. ^(AP) "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in^(AQ) three measures of flour, till it was^(AR) all leavened."

Prophecy and Parables

 ^34(AS) All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. ³⁵This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:<sup>[e]

   (AT)</sup> "I will open my mouth in parables;
   ^(AU) I will utter what has been hidden^(AV) since the foundation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

 ³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into^(AW) the house. And his disciples came to him, saying,^(AX) "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." ³⁷He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed is^(AY) the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are^(AZ) the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.^(BA) The harvest is^(BB) the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds^(BC) are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at^(BD) the close of the age. ^41(BE) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all^(BF) causes of sin and^(BG) all law-breakers, ^42(BH) and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place^(BI) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then^(BJ) the righteous will shine like the sun^(BK) in the kingdom of their Father.^(BL) He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

 ⁴⁴"The kingdom of heaven^(BM) is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy^(BN) he goes and sells all that he has and^(BO) buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

 ⁴⁵"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶who, on finding^(BP) one pearl of great value,^(BQ) went and sold all that he had and^(BR) bought it.

The Parable of the Net

 ⁴⁷"Again, the kingdom of heaven is^(BS) like a net that was thrown into the sea and^(BT) gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸When it was full,^(BU) men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at^(BV) the close of the age. The angels will come out and^(BW) separate the evil from the righteous ^50(BX) and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

 ^51(BY) "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." ⁵²And he said to them, "Therefore every^(BZ) scribe^(CA) who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who^(CB) brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

 ⁵³And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, ^54(CC) and coming to^(CD) his hometown^(CE) he taught them in their synagogue, so that^(CF) they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ^55(CG) Is not this^(CH) the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not^(CI) his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" ⁵⁷And^(CJ) they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ^(CK) "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." ⁵⁸And he did not do many mighty works there,^(CL) because of their unbelief.

Matthew 14

The Death of John the Baptist

 ^1(CM) At that time^(CN) Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, ²and he said to his servants,^(CO) "This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." ³For^(CP) Herod had seized John and bound him and^(CQ) put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^{[f] 4}because John had been saying to him,^(CR) "It is not lawful for you to have her." ⁵And though he wanted to put him to death,^(CS) he feared the people, because they held him to be^(CT) a prophet. ⁶But when Herod’s^(CU) birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, ⁷so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ⁸Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." ⁹And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. ¹⁰He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, ¹¹and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹²And^(CV) his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 ¹³Now when Jesus heard this,^(CW) he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When he went ashore he^(CX) saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over;^(CY) send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." ¹⁶But Jesus said, "They need not go away;^(CZ) you give them something to eat." ¹⁷They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." ¹⁸And he said, "Bring them here to me." ¹⁹Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish,^(DA) he looked up to heaven and^(DB) said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

 ^22(DC) Immediately he^(DD) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds,^(DE) he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When^(DF) evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat by this time was a long way^[g] from the land,^[h] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And^(DG) in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,^(DH) they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ^(DI) "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

 ²⁸And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." ²⁹He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and^(DJ) walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind,^[i] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out,^(DK) "Lord, save me." ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ^(DL) "O you of little faith, why did you^(DM) doubt?" ³²And when they got into the boat,^(DN) the wind ceased. ³³And^(DO) those in the boat^(DP) worshiped him, saying,^(DQ) "Truly you are^(DR) the Son of God."

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

 ^34(DS) And when they had crossed over, they came to land at^(DT) Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and^(DU) brought to him all who were sick ³⁶and implored him that they might only touch^(DV) the fringe of his garment. And^(DW) as many as touched it were made well.