Matthew 13:20-40

English Standard Version

²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately ^(A)receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but ^(B)endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^(C)he falls away.^{[a] 22} As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but ^(D)the cares of ^(E)the world and ^(F)the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³ As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and ^(G)understands it. He indeed ^(H)bears fruit and yields, in one case ^(I)a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ He put another parable before them, saying, ^(J)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵ but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[b] among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ And the servants^[c] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, ^(K)‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ^(L)“Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

³¹ He put another parable before them, saying, ^(M)“The kingdom of heaven is like ^(N)a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

³³ He told them another parable. ^(O)“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in ^(P)three measures of flour, till it was ^(Q)all leavened.”

Prophecy and Parables

^34 (R)All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:^[d]

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into ^(V)the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ^(W)“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed is ^(X)the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are ^(Y)the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. ^(Z)The harvest is ^(AA)the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds ^(AB)are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at ^(AC)the end of the age.