Matthew 13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Parable of the Sower
13Â That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2Â Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.(A) 3Â And he told them many things in parables, saying: âListen! A sower went out to sow. 4Â And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Â Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6Â But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Â Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Â Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.(B) 9Â If you have ears,[a] hear!â(C)
The Purpose of the Parables
10Â Then the disciples came and asked him, âWhy do you speak to them in parables?â 11Â He answered, âTo you it has been given to know the secrets[b] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.(D) 12Â For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.(E) 13Â The reason I speak to them in parables is that âseeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.â(F) 14Â With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
âYou will indeed listen but never understand,
and you will indeed look but never perceive.(G)
15Â For this peopleâs heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turnâ
and I would heal them.â(H)
16Â âBut blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.(I) 17Â Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.(J)
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18Â âHear, then, the parable of the sower. 19Â When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.(K) 20Â As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21Â yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.[c](L) 22Â As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this[d] age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.(M) 23Â But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.â(N)
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24Â He put before them another parable: âThe kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field,(O) 25Â but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26Â So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27Â And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, âMaster, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?â 28Â He answered, âAn enemy has done this.â The slaves said to him, âThen do you want us to go and gather them?â 29Â But he replied, âNo, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Â Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.â â(P)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31Â He put before them another parable: âThe kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;(Q) 32Â it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.â(R)
The Parable of the Yeast
33Â He told them another parable: âThe kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with[e] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.â(S)
The Use of Parables
34Â Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.(T) 35Â This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:[f]
âI will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation.â[g](U)
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36Â Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, âExplain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.â 37Â He answered, âThe one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38Â the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one,(V) 39Â and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.(W) 40Â Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.(X) 41Â The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin[h] and all evildoers,(Y) 42Â and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(Z) 43Â Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears[i] listen!(AA)
Three Parables
44Â âThe kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.(AB)
45Â âAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46Â on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47Â âAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;(AC) 48Â when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49Â So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous(AD) 50Â and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AE)
Treasures New and Old
51Â âHave you understood all this?â They answered, âYes.â 52Â And he said to them, âTherefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.â 53Â When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.(AF)
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
54Â He came to his hometown and began to teach the people[j] in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, âWhere did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power?(AG) 55Â Is not this the carpenterâs son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?(AH) 56Â And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?â 57Â And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, âProphets are not without honor except in their own hometown and in their own house.â(AI) 58Â And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- 13.9 Other ancient authorities add to hear
- 13.11 Or mysteries
- 13.21 Or stumbles
- 13.22 Some ancient authorities read the
- 13.33 Gk hid in
- 13.35 Other ancient authorities read the prophet Isaiah
- 13.35 Other ancient authorities add of the world
- 13.41 Or stumbling
- 13.43 Other ancient authorities add to hear
- 13.54 Gk them
Matthew 13
International Standard Version
The Parable about a Farmer(A)
13Â That day Jesus left the house and sat down beside the sea. 2Â Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood on the shore. 3Â Then he began to tell them many things in parables. He said, âListen! A farmer went out to sow. 4Â As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. 5Â Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasnât deep. 6Â But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. 7Â Other seeds fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew higher and choked them out. 8Â But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.[a] 9Â Let the person who has ears[b] listen!â
The Purpose of the Parables(B)
10Â Then the disciples came and asked Jesus,[c] âWhy do you speak to people[d] in parables?â
11Â He answered them, âYou have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from[e] heaven, but it hasnât been given to them, 12Â because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesnât have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13Â Thatâs why I speak to them in parables, because
âthey look but donât see,
and they listen but donât hear or understand.â
14Â âWith them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says:
âYou will listen and listen but never understand.
You will look and look but never comprehend,
15Â for this peopleâs heart has become dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing.[f]
They have shut their eyes
so that they might not see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn,
and I would heal them.â[g]
16Â âHow blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear! 17Â I tell all of you[h] with certainty, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them.â
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Farmer(C)
18Â âListen, then, to the parable about the farmer. 19Â When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesnât understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20Â As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once, 21Â but since he doesnât have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away. 22Â As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it canât produce a crop. 23Â But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown.â[i]
The Parable about the Weeds among the Wheat
24Â He presented another parable to them: âThe kingdom from[j] heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25Â While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26Â When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too.
27Â âThe ownerâs servants came and asked him, âMaster, you sowed good seed in your field, didnât you? Then where did these weeds come from?â
28Â âHe told them, âAn enemy did this!â
âThe servants asked him, âDo you want us to go and pull them out?â
29Â âHe said, âNo! If you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them. 30Â Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, âGather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn.âââ
The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast(D)
31Â He presented another parable to them, saying, âThe kingdom from[k] heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. 32Â Although it is the smallest of[l] all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.â
33Â He told them another parable: âThe kingdom from[m] heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[n] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.â
Why Jesus Used Parables(E)
34Â Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using[o] a parable. 35Â This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet[p] when he said,
âI will open my mouth to speak[q] in parables.
I will declare what has been hidden
since the creation of the world.â[r]
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Weeds
36Â Then Jesus[s] left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, âExplain to us the parable about the weeds in the field.â
37Â He answered, âThe person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man, 38Â while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to[t] the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to[u] the evil one. 39Â The enemy who sowed them is the Devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Â Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the[v] age. 41Â The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness 42Â and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.[w] 43Â Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Fatherâs kingdom. Let the person who has ears[x] listen!â
The Parable about a Hidden Treasure
44Â âThe kingdom from[y] heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.â
The Parable about a Valuable Pearl
45Â âAgain, the kingdom from[z] heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46Â When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.â
The Parable about a Net
47Â âAgain, the kingdom from[aa] heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish. 48Â When it was full, the fishermen[ab] hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49Â That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones, 50Â and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.â[ac]
New and Old Treasures
51Â âDo you understand all these things?â
They told him, âYes.â
52Â Then he told them, âThat is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from[ad] heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.â
Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth(F)
53Â When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. 54Â He went to his hometown and began teaching the people[ae] in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, âWhere did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? 55Â This is the builderâs[af] son, isnât it? His mother is named Mary, isnât she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, arenât they? 56Â And his sisters are all with us, arenât they? So where did this man get all these things?â 57Â And they were offended by him.
But Jesus told them, âA prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home.â 58Â He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:8 The Gk. lacks what was sown
- Matthew 13:9 Other mss. read ears to hear
- Matthew 13:10 Lit. him
- Matthew 13:10 Lit. to them
- Matthew 13:11 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:15 Lit. they hear with ears of heaviness
- Matthew 13:15 Cf. Isa 6:9-10
- Matthew 13:17 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Matthew 13:23 The Gk. lacks what was sown
- Matthew 13:24 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:31 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:32 Or it is smaller than
- Matthew 13:33 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:33 Lit. hid in
- Matthew 13:34 The Gk. lacks using
- Matthew 13:35 Other mss. read Isaiah the prophet
- Matthew 13:35 The Gk. lacks to speak
- Matthew 13:35 Cf. Ps 78:2
- Matthew 13:36 Lit. he
- Matthew 13:38 Lit. the sons of
- Matthew 13:38 Lit. the sons of
- Matthew 13:40 Other mss. read this
- Matthew 13:42 I.e. extreme pain
- Matthew 13:43 Other mss. read ears to hear
- Matthew 13:44 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:45 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:47 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:48 Lit. they
- Matthew 13:50 I.e. extreme pain
- Matthew 13:52 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:54 Lit. them
- Matthew 13:55 Or carpenterâs
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.