Matthew 13
International Standard Version
The Parable about a Farmer(A)
13 That day Jesus left the house and sat down beside the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood on the shore. 3 Then he began to tell them many things in parables. He said, “Listen! A farmer went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. 7 Other seeds fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew higher and choked them out. 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.[a] 9 Let the person who has ears[b] listen!”
The Purpose of the Parables(B)
10 Then the disciples came and asked Jesus,[c] “Why do you speak to people[d] in parables?”
11 He answered them, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from[e] heaven, but it hasn’t been given to them, 12 because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn’t have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That’s why I speak to them in parables, because
‘they look but don’t see,
and they listen but don’t hear or understand.’
14 “With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says:
‘You will listen and listen but never understand.
You will look and look but never comprehend,
15 for this people’s heart has become dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing.[f]
They have shut their eyes
so that they might not see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn,
and I would heal them.’[g]
16 “How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear! 17 I tell all of you[h] with certainty, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them.”
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Farmer(C)
18 “Listen, then, to the parable about the farmer. 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once, 21 but since he doesn’t have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it can’t produce a crop. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown.”[i]
The Parable about the Weeds among the Wheat
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom from[j] heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too.
27 “The owner’s servants came and asked him, ‘Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn’t you? Then where did these weeds come from?’
28 “He told them, ‘An enemy did this!’
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them out?’
29 “He said, ‘No! If you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast(D)
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom from[k] heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. 32 Although it is the smallest of[l] all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom from[m] heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[n] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Why Jesus Used Parables(E)
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using[o] a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet[p] when he said,
“I will open my mouth to speak[q] in parables.
I will declare what has been hidden
since the creation of the world.”[r]
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Weeds
36 Then Jesus[s] left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, “Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man, 38 while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to[t] the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to[u] the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the Devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the[v] age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness 42 and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.[w] 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears[x] listen!”
The Parable about a Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom from[y] heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.”
The Parable about a Valuable Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom from[z] heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”
The Parable about a Net
47 “Again, the kingdom from[aa] heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen[ab] hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49 That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones, 50 and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”[ac]
New and Old Treasures
51 “Do you understand all these things?”
They told him, “Yes.”
52 Then he told them, “That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from[ad] heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth(F)
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. 54 He went to his hometown and began teaching the people[ae] in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? 55 This is the builder’s[af] son, isn’t it? His mother is named Mary, isn’t she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren’t they? 56 And his sisters are all with us, aren’t they? So where did this man get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by him.
But Jesus told them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home.” 58 He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:8 The Gk. lacks what was sown
- Matthew 13:9 Other mss. read ears to hear
- Matthew 13:10 Lit. him
- Matthew 13:10 Lit. to them
- Matthew 13:11 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:15 Lit. they hear with ears of heaviness
- Matthew 13:15 Cf. Isa 6:9-10
- Matthew 13:17 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Matthew 13:23 The Gk. lacks what was sown
- Matthew 13:24 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:31 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:32 Or it is smaller than
- Matthew 13:33 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:33 Lit. hid in
- Matthew 13:34 The Gk. lacks using
- Matthew 13:35 Other mss. read Isaiah the prophet
- Matthew 13:35 The Gk. lacks to speak
- Matthew 13:35 Cf. Ps 78:2
- Matthew 13:36 Lit. he
- Matthew 13:38 Lit. the sons of
- Matthew 13:38 Lit. the sons of
- Matthew 13:40 Other mss. read this
- Matthew 13:42 I.e. extreme pain
- Matthew 13:43 Other mss. read ears to hear
- Matthew 13:44 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:45 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:47 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:48 Lit. they
- Matthew 13:50 I.e. extreme pain
- Matthew 13:52 Lit. of
- Matthew 13:54 Lit. them
- Matthew 13:55 Or carpenter’s
Matthew 13
New Century Version
A Story About Planting Seed
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore. 3 Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more. 9 Let those with ears use them and listen.”
Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach
10 The followers came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you use stories to teach the people?”
11 Jesus answered, “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets. 12 Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13 This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. 14 So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true:
‘You will listen and listen, but you will not understand.
You will look and look, but you will not learn.
15 For the minds of these people have become stubborn.
They do not hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might really understand
what they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand in their minds
and come back to me and be healed.’ Isaiah 6:9–10
16 But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.
Jesus Explains the Seed Story
18 “So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. 19 What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person’s heart. 20 And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. 21 But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up. 22 And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit[a] in that person’s life. 23 But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”
A Story About Wheat and Weeds
24 Then Jesus told them another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25 That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left. 26 Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain grew, but the weeds also grew. 27 Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’ 28 The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’ The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to pull up the weeds?’ 29 The man answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat. 30 Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers, “First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.”’”
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast
31 Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. 32 That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches.”
33 Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise.”
34 Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people; he always used stories to teach them. 35 This is as the prophet said:
“I will speak using stories;
I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made.” Psalm 78:2
Jesus Explains About the Weeds
36 Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His followers came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.”
37 Jesus answered, “The man who planted the good seed in the field is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed are all of God’s children who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those people who belong to the Evil One. 39 And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age, and the workers who gather are God’s angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil. 42 The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace, where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. 43 Then the good people will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let those with ears use them and listen.
Stories of a Treasure and a Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.
45 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
A Story of a Fishing Net
47 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. 50 The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”
51 Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes, we understand.”
52 Then Jesus said to them, “So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings out both new things and old things he has saved.”
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
53 When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there. 54 He went to his hometown and taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles? 55 He is just the son of a carpenter. His mother is Mary, and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does this man get all these things?” 57 So the people were upset with Jesus.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and in his own home.”
58 So he did not do many miracles there because they had no faith.
Footnotes
- 13:22 produce fruit To produce fruit means to have in your life the good things God wants.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
