Matthew 12:39-13:19

English Standard Version

³⁹ But he answered them, ^(A)“An evil and ^(B)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For ^(C)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ^(D)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^41 (E)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^(F)condemn it, for ^(G)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^(H)something greater than Jonah is here. ^42 (I)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^(J)something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

⁴³ “When ^(K)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^(L)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and ^(M)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this ^(N)evil generation.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the people, behold, ^(O)his mother and his ^(P)brothers^[a] stood outside, asking to speak to him.^{[b] 48} But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For ^(Q)whoever ^(R)does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house ^(S)and sat beside the sea. ² And great crowds gathered about him, ^(T)so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And ^(U)he told them many things in parables, saying: ^(V)“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 ^(W)when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, ^(X)they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among ^(Y)thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some ^(Z)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ^9 (AA)He who has ears,^[c] 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, ^(AB)“To you it has been given to know ^(AC)the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ^12 (AD)For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, ^(AE)even what he has will be taken away. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables, because ^(AF)seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, ^(AG)nor do they understand. ¹⁴ Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

¹⁶ But ^(AM)blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ^17 (AN)For truly, I say to you, ^(AO)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 (AP)“Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of ^(AQ)the kingdom and ^(AR)does not understand it, ^(AS)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.