Matthew 13
New Testament for Everyone
The parable of the sower
13 That very day Jesus went out of the house and sat down beside the sea. 2 Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down. The whole crowd was standing on the shore.
3 He had much to say to them, and he said it all in parables.
“Listen!” he said. “Once there was a sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell beside the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky soil, where it didn’t have much earth. It sprang up at once because it had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun was high it got scorched, and it withered because it didn’t have any root. 7 Other seed fell in among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 8 Other seed fell into good soil, and produced a crop, some a hundred times over, some sixty, and some thirty times over. 9 If you’ve got ears, then listen!”
The reason for parables
10 His disciples came to him.
“Why are you speaking to them in parables?” they asked.
11 “You’ve been given the gift of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,” he replied, “but they haven’t been given it. 12 Anyone who already has something will be given more, and they will have plenty. But anyone who has nothing—even what they have will be taken away! 13 That’s why I speak to them in parables, so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand or take it in. 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is coming true in them:
You will listen and listen but won’t understand,
you will look and look but not see.
15 This people’s heart has gone flabby and fat,
their ears are muffled and dull,
their eyes are darkened and shut;
so that they won’t see with their eyes
or hear with their ears, or know in their heart,
or turn back again for me to restore them.
16 “But there’s great news for your eyes: they can see! And for your ears: they can hear! 17 I’m telling you the truth: many prophets and holy people longed to see what you see and didn’t see it, and to hear what you hear and didn’t hear it.”
The parable of the sower explained
18 “All right, then,” Jesus continued, “this is what the sower story is all about. 19 When someone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This corresponds to what was sown beside the path. 20 What was sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with delight, 21 but doesn’t have any root of their own. Someone like that only lasts a short time; as soon as there’s any trouble or persecution because of the word, they trip up at once. 22 The one sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but the world’s worries and the seduction of wealth choke the word and it doesn’t bear fruit. 23 But the one sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. Someone like that will bear fruit: one will produce a hundred times over, another sixty, and another thirty times over.”
The parable of the weeds
24 He put another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven,” he said, “is like this! Once upon a time a man sowed good seed in his field. 25 While the workers were asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds in among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the crop came up and produced wheat, then the weeds appeared as well.
27 “So the farmer’s servants came to him.
“ ‘Master,’ they said, ‘didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’
28 “ ‘This is the work of an enemy,’ he replied.
“ ‘So,’ the servants said to him, ‘do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘If you do that you’ll probably pull up the wheat as well, while you’re collecting the weeds. 30 Let them both grow together until the harvest. Then, when it’s time for harvest, I will give the reapers this instruction: First gather the weeds and tie them up in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
31 He put another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven,” he said, “is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when it grows it turns into the biggest of the shrubs. It becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky can then come and nest in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,” he said, “which a woman took and hid inside three measures of flour, until the whole thing was leavened.”
34 Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. He didn’t speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will tell the things that were hidden
since the very foundation of the world.
The parable of the weeds explained
36 Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came and joined him.
“Explain to us,” they said, “the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 “The one who sows the good seed,” said Jesus, “is the son of man. 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one; 39 the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40 “So: when the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, that’s what it will be like at the close of the age. 41 The son of man will send out his angels, and they will collect together out of his kingdom everything that causes offense, and everyone who acts wickedly. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. If you have ears, then hear!”
Other parables
44 “The kingdom of heaven,” Jesus continued, “is like treasure hidden in a field. Someone found it and hid it, and in great delight went off and sold everything he possessed, and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls, 46 and who found one that was spectacularly valuable. He went off and sold everything he possessed, and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea, and collected every type of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen brought it to shore. They sat down and selected the good ones, which they put into a bucket; but they threw out the bad ones. 49 That’s what it will be like at the close of the age. The angels will go off and separate the wicked from the righteous, 50 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all this?” asked Jesus.
“Yes,” they answered.
52 “Well, then,” he said to them, “every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his storeroom some new things and some old things.”
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there.
Opposition in Nazareth
54 Jesus came to the town where he had been brought up. He taught them in their synagogue, and they were astonished.
“Where did this fellow get this wisdom, and these powers?” they said.
55 “Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judah? 56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? So where does he get it all from?” 57 They were offended by him.
So Jesus said to them, “No prophet lacks respect—except in his own town and his own house!”
58 And he didn’t perform many mighty works there, because they didn’t believe.
Matthew 13
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
13 The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.
4 And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.
5 And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.
6 And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.
7 And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?
11 Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given.
12 For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but he that hath not, from him shall be taken away that also which he hath.
13 Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.
15 For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
17 For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them.
18 Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he that received the seed by the way side.
20 And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when there ariseth tribulation and persecution because of the word, he is presently scandalized.
22 And he that received the seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless.
23 But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.
24 Another parable he proposed to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seeds in his field.
25 But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way.
26 And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle.
27 And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockle?
28 And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up?
29 And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it.
30 Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
31 Another parable he proposed unto them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.
32 Which is the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the branches thereof.
33 Another parable he spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.
34 All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables he did not speak to them.
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
36 Then having sent away the multitudes, he came into the house, and his disciples came to him, saying: Expound to us the parable of the cockle of the field.
37 Who made answer and said to them: He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man.
38 And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one.
39 And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers are the angels.
40 Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, and burnt with fire: so shall it be at the end of the world.
41 The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity.
42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls.
46 Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kind of fishes.
48 Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just.
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Have ye understood all these things? They say to him: Yes.
52 He said unto them: Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old.
53 And it came to pass: when Jesus had finished these parables, he passed from thence.
54 And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: How came this man by this wisdom and miracles?
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude:
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hath he all these things?
57 And they were scandalized in his regard. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
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