Matthew 13
Modern English Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Great crowds assembled around Him, so that He went into a boat and sat there. And the whole assembly stood on the shore. 3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 While he sowed, some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 But other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they did not have deep soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And because they did not take root, they withered away. 7 Some seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain: a hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much. 9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables(B)
10 The disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered them, “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For to him who has, will more be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables:
‘Because they look, but do not see.
And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand.’[a]
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:
‘By hearing, you will hear and shall not understand,
and seeing, you will see and shall not perceive;[b]
15 for this people’s heart has grown dull.
Their ears have become hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts,
and turn, and I should heal them.’[c]
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.
The Parable of the Sower Explained(C)
18 “Therefore listen to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one who received seed beside the path. 20 But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. 22 He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 But when the shoots had sprung up and produced fruit, the weeds also appeared.
27 “So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’
“The servants said to him, ‘Will you then have us go and gather them up?’
29 “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the weeds, you pull up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(D)
31 He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. 32 This indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest among herbs and is a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman took and mixed in sixty pounds[d] of meal until it had leavened the whole batch.”
The Use of Parables(E)
34 Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. And without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will say things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world.”[e]
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37 He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.
40 “Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, 42 and will throw them into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun[f] in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And with joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they drew it to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Treasures New and Old
51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all of these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who is discipled for the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is master of the household who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth(F)
53 When Jesus finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 When He came to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is He not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
58 And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:13 Dt 29:4; Isa 42:19–20; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2.
- Matthew 13:14 Isa 6:9.
- Matthew 13:15 Isa 6:10; Ps 119:70; Zec 7:11.
- Matthew 13:33 Gk. 3 sata, about 22 liters each.
- Matthew 13:35 Ps 78:2.
- Matthew 13:43 Da 12:3.
Matthew 13
21st Century King James Version
13 The same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And He spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside; and the fowls came and devoured them up.
5 Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth.
6 And when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8 But others fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And the disciples came and said unto Him, “Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?”
11 He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables, because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.
15 For this people’s heart has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower:
19 When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he that received seed by the wayside.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word and at once with joy receiveth it;
21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while. For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he loses faith.
22 He also that received the seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it; who also beareth fruit and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
24 Another parable put He forth before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blades had sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath come the tares?’
28 He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then have us go and gather them up?’
29 But he said, ‘Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
31 Another parable put He forth before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,
32 which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”
33 Another parable spoke He unto them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened.”
34 All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto 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 which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house, and His disciples came unto Him, saying, “Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said unto them, “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the Kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one.
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world.
41 The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity,
42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, which, when a man hath found, he hideth; and for the joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls,
46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind,
48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51 Jesus said unto them, “Have ye understood all these things?” They said unto Him, “Yea, Lord.”
52 Then said He unto them, “Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”
53 And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed thence.
54 And when He had come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished and said, “From whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joseph, and Simon and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? From whence then hath this man all these things?”
57 And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own house.”
58 And He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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