24 [a]Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.

25 But while men slept, there came his enemy and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 And when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 Then came the servants of the householder, and said unto him, Master, sowest thou not good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 And he said unto them, Some envious man hath done this. Then the servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay, lest while ye go about to gather the tares, ye pluck up also with them the wheat.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:24 Christ showeth in another parable of the evil seed mixed with the good, that the Church shall never be free and quit from offences, both in doctrine and manners, until the day appointed for the restoring of all things to come, and therefore the faithful have to arm themselves with patience and constancy.

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)

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