Matthew 13:47-14:12

New American Standard Bible

A Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, ^(A)the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; ⁴⁸ and when it was filled, they pulled 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 ^(B)the ^[a]end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰ and they ^(C)will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place ^(D)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” ⁵² And ^[b]Jesus 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 new things and old.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

^53 (E)When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. ⁵⁴ And ^(F)He came to ^[c]His hometown and ^(G)began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that ^(H)they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these ^[d]miraculous powers? ⁵⁵ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is ^(I)His mother not called Mary, and His ^(J)brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And ^(K)His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took ^(L)offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “^(M)A prophet is not dishonored except in his ^[e]hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many ^[f]miracles there because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 ^[g](N)At that time ^[h](O)Herod ^[i]the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, ² and said to his servants, “^(P)This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³ For when ^(Q)Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him ^(R)in prison because of ^(S)Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. ⁴ For John had been saying to him, “^(T)It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded ^[j]John as ^(U)a prophet.

⁶ But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of ^(V)Herodias danced ^[k]before them and pleased ^(W)Herod, ⁷ so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ And after being prompted by her mother, she *said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and ^[l]his dinner guests. ¹⁰ He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ^12 [m]John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried ^[n]it; and they went and reported to Jesus.