Matthew 13:24-46
New American Standard Bible
Weeds among Wheat
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “(A)The kingdom of heaven [a]is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [b]weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the [c]wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [d]How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘[e]An 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; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but (B)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Mustard Seed
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(C)The kingdom of heaven is like (D)a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (E)the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Leaven
33 He spoke another parable to them: “(F)The kingdom of heaven is like [f]leaven, which a woman took and hid in (G)three [g]sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them (H)without a parable. 35 This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be [h]fulfilled:
“(I)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Weeds Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went into (J)the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “(K)Explain to us the parable of the [i]weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is (L)the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are (M)the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are (N)the sons of (O)the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is (P)the [j]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (Q)the [k]end of the age. 41 (R)The Son of Man (S)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [l]all (T)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they (U)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place (V)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 (W)Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (X)The one who has ears, [m]let him hear.
Hidden Treasure
44 “(Y)The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from [n]joy over it he goes and (Z)sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, (AA)the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 13:24 Lit has been compared to
- Matthew 13:25 Prob. darnel, a weed resembling wheat
- Matthew 13:26 Lit grass
- Matthew 13:27 Lit From where
- Matthew 13:28 Lit A hostile person
- Matthew 13:33 I.e., fermented dough
- Matthew 13:33 A Gr term for a Heb measure, totaling about 48 lb. or 22 kg of flour
- Matthew 13:35 Lit fulfilled, saying
- Matthew 13:36 Prob. 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! Or listen!
- Matthew 13:44 Or his joy, he goes
Matthew 13:24-46
New Living Translation
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
Parable of the Yeast
33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[a]”
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man[b] is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,[c] and the harvesters are the angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Read full chapterNew American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
