³ When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws,^(A) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”^{(B) 4} Moses then wrote^(C) down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning and built an altar^(D) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars^(E) representing the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings^(F) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings^(G) to the Lord. ⁶ Moses^(H) took half of the blood^(I) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed^(J) against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant^(K) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”^(L)

⁸ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(M) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant^(N) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like^(A) 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.’”^(B)