Matthew 13:24-30

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴He put another parable before them, saying, ^(A)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[a] among the wheat and went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷And the servants^[b] 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?’ ²⁸He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he said, ^(B)‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ^(C)“Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

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Footnotes

Matthew 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
Matthew 13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28

Matthew 13:36-43

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into ^(A)the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ^(B)“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed is ^(C)the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are ^(D)the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. ^(E)The harvest is ^(F)the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds ^(G)are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at ^(H)the end of the age. ⁴¹^(I)The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all ^(J)causes of sin and ^(K)all law-breakers, ⁴²^(L)and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place ^(M)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then ^(N)the righteous will shine like the sun ^(O)in the kingdom of their Father. ^(P)He who has ears, let him hear.

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Isaiah 21

English Standard Version

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

21 The ^(A)oracle concerning the wilderness of ^(B)the sea.

^(C)As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
    it comes from the wilderness,
    from a terrible land.
²A stern vision is told to me;
    ^(D)the traitor betrays,
    and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O ^(E)Elam;
    lay siege, O ^(F)Media;
all the ^(G)sighing she has caused
    I bring to an end.
³Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
    ^(H)pangs have seized me,
    like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
    I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
⁴My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
    ^(I)the twilight I longed for
    has been turned for me into trembling.
⁵^(J)They prepare the table,
    they spread the rugs,^[a]
    they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
    ^(K)oil the shield!
⁶For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
    let him announce what he sees.
⁷When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
    riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
    very diligently.”
⁸Then he who saw cried out:^[b]
^(L)“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
    continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
    whole nights.
⁹And behold, here come riders,
    horsemen in pairs!”
^(M)And he answered,
    ^(N)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
^(O)and all the carved images of her gods
    he has shattered to the ground.”
¹⁰O ^(P)my threshed and winnowed one,
    what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
    the God of Israel, I announce to you.

¹¹The ^(Q)oracle concerning ^(R)Dumah.

One is calling to me from ^(S)Seir,
    “Watchman, what time of the night?
    Watchman, what time of the night?”
¹²The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also ^(T)the night.
    If you will inquire, ^(U)inquire;
    come back again.”

¹³The ^(V)oracle concerning ^(W)Arabia.

In the thickets in ^(X)Arabia you will lodge,
    O ^(Y)caravans of ^(Z)Dedanites.
¹⁴To the thirsty bring water;
    meet the fugitive with bread,
    O inhabitants of the land of ^(AA)Tema.
¹⁵For they have fled from the swords,
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
    and from the press of battle.

¹⁶For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, ^(AB)according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of ^(AC)Kedar will come to an end. ¹⁷And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of ^(AD)Kedar will be few, ^(AE)for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”