Matthew 13
Legacy Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of (A)the house and was sitting (B)by the sea. 2 And [a]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 spoke many things to them 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 And others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And others fell [b]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on the good soil and were yielding [c]a crop, some a (E)hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 (F)He who has ears, [d]let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [e]Jesus answered and said to them, “(G)To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 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 in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[f](J)You will keep on hearing, [g]but will not understand;
[h]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 (K)For the heart of this people has become dull,
And with their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Lest they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And 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 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
18 “(N)Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears (O)the 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 on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he [i](Q)falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the worry of (R)the [j]world and the (S)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some (T)a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
The Parable of Tares Among Wheat
24 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(U)The kingdom of heaven [k]may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [l]tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the [m]wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [n]How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An [o]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; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but (V)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(W)The kingdom of heaven is like (X)a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is the [p]smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the [q]largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (Y)the birds of the [r]air come and nest in its branches.”
33 He spoke another parable to them, “(Z)The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in [s](AA)three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He was not speaking to them (AB)without a parable 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,
“(AC)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of Tares 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 [t]tares of the field.” 37 And He answered and 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 tares 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 [u]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (AK)the [v]end of the age. 41 (AL)The Son of Man (AM)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [w]all (AN)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and (AO)will throw them into the fiery furnace; in that place (AP)there will be weeping 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, [x]let him hear.
A 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 joy over it he goes and (AT)sells all 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 all that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, (AV)the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew 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 [y]end of the age; the angels will come forth and [z]take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and (AX)will throw them into the fiery furnace; 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 He 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 things new and old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53 [aa](AZ)Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 (BA)And He came to [ab]His hometown and (BB)began teaching them in their synagogue, so that (BC)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these [ac]miraculous powers? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not (BD)His mother called Mary, and His (BE)brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And (BF)His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they were taking (BG)offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “(BH)A prophet is not without honor except in his [ad]hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many [ae]miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:2 Lit many
- Matthew 13:7 Lit upon
- Matthew 13:8 Lit fruit
- Matthew 13:9 Or hear!, listen!; Gr imperative
- Matthew 13:11 Lit He
- Matthew 13:14 Lit With a hearing you will hear
- Matthew 13:14 Lit and
- Matthew 13:14 Lit Seeing you will see
- Matthew 13:21 Lit is caused to stumble
- Matthew 13:22 Or age
- Matthew 13:24 Lit was compared to
- Matthew 13:25 Or darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:26 Lit grass
- Matthew 13:27 Lit From where
- Matthew 13:28 Lit enemy man
- Matthew 13:32 Lit smaller
- Matthew 13:32 Lit larger
- Matthew 13:32 Or sky
- Matthew 13:33 Approx. 48 lb. or 39 l, a saton was approx. 16 lb. or 13 l
- Matthew 13:36 Or 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!, listen!; Gr imperative
- Matthew 13:49 Or consummation
- Matthew 13:49 Or separate
- Matthew 13:53 Lit And
- 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
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house (A)and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, (B)so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And (C)he told them many things in parables, saying: (D)“A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but (E)when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, (F)they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among (G)thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other 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
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And 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. 13 This 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. 14 Indeed, 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.”
15 For 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.’
16 But (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: 19 When 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately (AB)receives it with joy, 21 yet 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. 23 As 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
24 He put another parable before them, saying, (AK)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[c] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And 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?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, (AL)‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let 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
31 He 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. 32 It 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.”
33 He 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. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:[e]
(AT)“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
36 Then 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.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The 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, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. (BA)The harvest is (BB)the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds (BC)are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at (BD)the end 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. 43 Then (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, 46 who, 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. 48 When it was full, (BU)men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at (BV)the end 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 (BY)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New and Old Treasures
51 (BZ)“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every (CA)scribe (CB)who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who (CC)brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 (CD)and coming to (CE)his hometown (CF)he taught them in their synagogue, so that (CG)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 (CH)Is not this (CI)the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not (CJ)his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And (CK)they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, (CL)“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, (CM)because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear
- Matthew 13:21 Or stumbles
- Matthew 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
- Matthew 13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28
- Matthew 13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
