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Matthew 13
New English Translation
Matthew 13
New English Translation
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake.[a] 2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat[b] to sit while[c] the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3 He[d] told them many things in parables,[e] saying: “Listen![f] A sower went out to sow.[g] 4 And as he sowed, some seeds[h] fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other[i] seeds fell on rocky ground[j] where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep.[k] 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns,[l] and they grew up and choked them.[m] 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 The one who has ears had better listen!”[n]
10 Then[o] the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He replied,[p] “You have been given[q] the opportunity to know[r] the secrets[s] of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.[t] 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefully[u] yet will never understand,
you will look closely[v] yet will never comprehend.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[w]
16 “But your eyes are blessed[x] because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth,[y] many prophets and righteous people longed to see[z] what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one[aa] comes and snatches what was sown in his heart;[ab] this is the seed sown along the path. 20 The[ac] seed sown on rocky ground[ad] is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure;[ae] when[af] trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 The[ag] seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth[ah] choke the word,[ai] so it produces nothing. 23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”[aj]
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He presented them with another parable:[ak] “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed darnel[al] among the wheat and went away. 26 When[am] the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the darnel also appeared. 27 So the slaves[an] of the landowner[ao] came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the darnel come from?’ 28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So[ap] the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather it?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the darnel you may uproot the wheat along with it. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At[aq] harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burned, but then gather[ar] the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He gave[as] them another parable:[at] “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed[au] that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree,[av] so that the wild birds[aw] come and nest in its branches.”[ax]
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[ay] three measures[az] of flour until all the dough had risen.”[ba]
The Purpose of Parables
34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:[bb]
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”[bc]
Explanation for the Disciples
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel[bd] in the field.” 37 He[be] answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people[bf] of the kingdom. The poisonous weeds[bg] are the people[bh] of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 As[bi] the poisonous weeds[bj] are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.[bk] 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace,[bl] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.[bm] The one who has ears had better listen![bn]
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace,[bo] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law[bp] who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
Rejection at Nazareth
53 Now when[bq] Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Then[br] he came to his hometown[bs] and began to teach the people[bt] in their synagogue.[bu] They[bv] were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary?[bw] And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? So where did he get all this?” 57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:1 sn Here lake refers to the Sea of Galilee.
- Matthew 13:2 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
- Matthew 13:2 tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
- Matthew 13:3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:3 sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. the remainder of chapter 13), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.
- Matthew 13:3 tn Grk “Behold.”
- Matthew 13:3 sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well-worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God.
- Matthew 13:4 tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [ha…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).
- Matthew 13:5 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:5 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
- Matthew 13:5 tn Grk “because it did not have depth of earth.”
- Matthew 13:7 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to 6 feet in height and have a major root system.
- Matthew 13:7 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
- Matthew 13:9 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35).
- Matthew 13:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
- Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:11 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
- Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.
- Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “the mysteries.”sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, mustērion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).
- Matthew 13:12 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
- Matthew 13:14 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
- Matthew 13:14 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
- Matthew 13:15 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
- Matthew 13:16 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
- Matthew 13:17 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amēn) I say to you.”
- Matthew 13:17 sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.
- Matthew 13:19 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
- Matthew 13:19 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
- Matthew 13:20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:20 tn Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.
- Matthew 13:21 tn Grk “is temporary.”
- Matthew 13:21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:22 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:22 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
- Matthew 13:22 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
- Matthew 13:23 tn The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).
- Matthew 13:24 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:25 tn Or “sowed poisonous weeds”; KJV “tares.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) is generally understood to refer to darnel (Lolium temulentum), an especially undesirable weed that bears an uncanny resemblance to wheat until the ears of grain appear (L&N 3.30; BDAG 429 s.v.). So close is the resemblance to genuine wheat that darnel is sometimes called “false wheat.” Darnel is considered poisonous; ingesting the weed causes feelings of drunkenness and can prove fatal. Under Roman law the sowing of such poisonous plants in someone else’s field was specifically prohibited (C. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary [Eerdmans, 2009], 387). A number of recent English translations use “weeds,” but this does not convey the poisonous nature of darnel or the similarity in appearance to wheat.
- Matthew 13:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:27 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
- Matthew 13:27 sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
- Matthew 13:28 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
- Matthew 13:30 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:30 tn Grk “burned, but gather”; “then” has been added to the English translation to complete the sequence begun by “First collect.”
- Matthew 13:31 tn Grk “put before.”
- Matthew 13:31 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:31 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
- Matthew 13:32 sn This is rhetorical hyperbole, since technically a mustard plant is not a tree. This could refer to one of two types of mustard plant popular in Palestine and would be either ten or twenty-five ft (3 or 7.5 m) tall.
- Matthew 13:32 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
- Matthew 13:32 sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of a small plant that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
- Matthew 13:33 tn Grk “hid in.”
- Matthew 13:33 sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 pounds (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.
- Matthew 13:33 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”sn The parable of the yeast and the dough teaches that the kingdom of God will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by its seemingly small start, the same point made in the parable of the mustard seed, which preceded this one.
- Matthew 13:35 tc A few significant mss (א* Θ ƒ1, 13 33) identify the prophet as Isaiah, a reading that is significantly harder than the generic “prophet” because the source of this prophecy is not Isaiah but Asaph in Ps 78. Jerome mentioned some mss that had “Asaph” here, though none are known to exist today. This problem is difficult because of the temptation for scribes to delete the reference to Isaiah in order to clear up a discrepancy. Indeed, the vast majority of witnesses have only “the prophet” here (א1 B C D L W Γ Δ 0233 0242 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy co). However, as B. M. Metzger points out, “if no prophet were originally named, more than one scribe might have been prompted to insert the name of the best known prophet—something which has, in fact, happened elsewhere more than once” (TCGNT 27). In light of the paucity of evidence for the reading ᾿Ησαΐου, as well as the proclivity of scribes to add his name, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic.tn Grk “was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:35 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
- Matthew 13:36 tn Or “poisonous weeds.” See the note on the word “darnel” in 13:25.
- Matthew 13:37 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:38 tn Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”
- Matthew 13:38 tn Or “The darnels.” Here “poisonous weeds” contrasts with “the good seed” mentioned previously in the verse.
- Matthew 13:38 tn Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.
- Matthew 13:40 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:40 tn Or “the darnels.”
- Matthew 13:41 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
- Matthew 13:42 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
- Matthew 13:43 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
- Matthew 13:43 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35).
- Matthew 13:50 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
- Matthew 13:52 tn Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].
- Matthew 13:53 tn Grk “Now it happened that when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:54 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
- Matthew 13:54 sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.
- Matthew 13:54 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Matthew 13:54 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.
- Matthew 13:54 tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε (hōste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
- Matthew 13:55 sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter’s son is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to his mother…Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 6:42; 8:41; 9:29).
Matthew 13
New International Version
Matthew 13
New International Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)(C)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house(D) and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat(E) and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(F) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(G)
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(H) has been given to you,(I) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(J) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(K)
14 In them is fulfilled(L) the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a](M)
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(N) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(O) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(P) and does not understand it, the evil one(Q) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(R) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(S) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(T)
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(U) a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”(V)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(W)(X)
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(Y) a mustard seed,(Z) which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(AA)
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like(AB) yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[b] of flour(AC) until it worked all through the dough.”(AD)
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(AE) 35 So was fulfilled(AF) what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[c](AG)
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(AH) of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(AI) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(AJ) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(AK) is the end of the age,(AL) and the harvesters are angels.(AM)
40 “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(AN) will send out his angels,(AO) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AP) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(AQ) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.(AR)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(AS) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(AT)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(AU) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(AV) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(AW) of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous(AX) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AY)
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
A Prophet Without Honor(AZ)
53 When Jesus had finished these parables,(BA) he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,(BB) and they were amazed.(BC) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(BD) Isn’t his mother’s(BE) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers(BF) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense(BG) at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”(BH)
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
- Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
- Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
Mateo 13
Nueva Versión Internacional
Mateo 13
Nueva Versión Internacional
Parábola del sembrador(A)(B)(C)
13 Ese mismo día salió Jesús de la casa y se sentó a la orilla del lago. 2 La multitud que se reunió para verlo era tan grande que él tuvo que subir a una barca donde se sentó mientras toda la gente estaba de pie en la orilla. 3 Y dijo en parábolas muchas cosas como estas: «Un sembrador salió a sembrar. 4 Mientras iba esparciendo las semillas, una parte cayó junto al camino, llegaron los pájaros y se las comieron. 5 Otra parte cayó en terreno pedregoso, sin mucha tierra. Esas semillas brotaron pronto porque la tierra no era profunda; 6 pero cuando salió el sol, las plantas se marchitaron y por no tener raíz se secaron. 7 Otra parte de las semillas cayó entre espinos que, al crecer, ahogaron las plantas. 8 Pero las otras semillas cayeron en buen terreno, en el que se dio una cosecha que rindió hasta cien, sesenta y treinta veces más de lo que se había sembrado. 9 El que tenga oídos, que oiga».
10 Los discípulos se acercaron y le preguntaron:
—¿Por qué hablas a la gente en parábolas?
11 Él respondió:
—A ustedes se les ha concedido conocer los misterios del reino de los cielos; pero a ellos no. 12 Al que tiene se le dará más y tendrá en abundancia. Al que no tiene hasta lo que tiene se le quitará. 13 Por eso les hablo a ellos en parábolas:
»Aunque miren, no vean;
aunque oigan, no escuchen ni entiendan.
14 En ellos se cumple la profecía de Isaías:
“Por mucho que oigan, no entenderán;
por mucho que vean, no comprenderán.
15 Porque el corazón de este pueblo se ha vuelto insensible;
se les han tapado los oídos
y se les han cerrado los ojos.
De lo contrario, verían con los ojos,
oirían con los oídos,
entenderían con el corazón,
se arrepentirían y yo los sanaría”.[a]
16 Pero dichosos los ojos de ustedes porque ven y sus oídos porque oyen. 17 Les aseguro que muchos profetas y otros justos anhelaron ver lo que ustedes ven, pero no lo vieron; quisieron oír lo que ustedes oyen, pero no lo oyeron.
Jesús explica la parábola del sembrador
18 »Escuchen ahora lo que significa la parábola del sembrador: 19 Cuando alguien oye la palabra acerca del reino y no la entiende, viene el maligno y arrebata lo que se sembró en su corazón. Esta es la semilla sembrada junto al camino. 20 El que recibió la semilla que cayó en el suelo lleno de piedras es el que oye la palabra y de inmediato la recibe con alegría. 21 Pero como no tiene raíz, dura poco tiempo. Cuando surgen problemas o persecución a causa de la palabra, enseguida se aparta de ella. 22 El que recibió la semilla que cayó entre espinos es el que oye la palabra, pero las preocupaciones de esta vida y el engaño de las riquezas la ahogan. Por eso, la semilla no llega a dar fruto. 23 Pero el que recibió la semilla que cayó en buen terreno es el que oye la palabra y la entiende. Este sí produce una cosecha hasta cien, sesenta y treinta veces más».
Parábola de la mala hierba
24 Jesús contó otra parábola: «El reino de los cielos es como un hombre que sembró buena semilla en su campo. 25 Pero mientras todos dormían, llegó su enemigo y sembró mala hierba entre el trigo y se fue. 26 Cuando brotó el trigo y se formó la espiga, apareció también la mala hierba. 27 Los siervos fueron al dueño y le dijeron: “Señor, ¿no sembró usted semilla buena en su campo? Entonces, ¿de dónde salió la mala hierba?”. 28 “Esto es obra de un enemigo”, respondió. Le preguntaron los siervos: “¿Quiere usted que vayamos a arrancarla?”. 29 “¡No! —contestó—, no sea que, al arrancar la mala hierba, arranquen con ella el trigo. 30 Dejen que crezcan juntos hasta la cosecha. Entonces diré a los segadores: Recojan primero la mala hierba y átenla en manojos para quemarla; después recojan el trigo y guárdenlo en mi granero”».
Parábolas de la semilla de mostaza y de la levadura
31 Les contó otra parábola: «El reino de los cielos es como una semilla de mostaza que un hombre sembró en su campo. 32 Aunque es la más pequeña de todas las semillas, cuando crece es la más grande de las plantas del huerto. Se convierte en árbol, de modo que vienen las aves y anidan en sus ramas».
33 Les contó otra parábola más: «El reino de los cielos es como la levadura que una mujer tomó y mezcló en tres medidas[b] de harina, hasta que hizo crecer toda la masa».
34 Jesús dijo a la multitud todas estas cosas en parábolas. No decía nada sin emplear parábolas. 35 Así se cumplió lo dicho por el profeta:
«Hablaré por medio de parábolas;
revelaré cosas que han estado ocultas desde la creación del mundo».[c]
Jesús explica la parábola de la mala hierba
36 Una vez que se despidió de la multitud, entró en la casa. Se acercaron sus discípulos y le pidieron:
—Explícanos la parábola de la mala hierba del campo.
37 —El que sembró la buena semilla es el Hijo del hombre —respondió Jesús—. 38 El campo es el mundo y la buena semilla representa a los hijos del reino. La mala hierba son los hijos del maligno, 39 y el enemigo que la siembra es el diablo. La cosecha es el fin del mundo,[d] y los segadores son los ángeles.
40 »Así como se recoge la mala hierba y se quema en el fuego, ocurrirá también al fin del mundo. 41 El Hijo del hombre enviará a sus ángeles y arrancarán de su reino a todos los que pecan y hacen pecar. 42 Los arrojarán al horno encendido, donde habrá llanto y crujir de dientes. 43 Entonces los justos brillarán en el reino de su Padre como el sol. El que tenga oídos, que oiga.
Parábolas del tesoro escondido y de la perla
44 »El reino de los cielos es como un tesoro escondido en un campo. Cuando un hombre lo descubrió, lo volvió a esconder, y lleno de alegría fue y vendió todo lo que tenía y compró ese campo.
45 »También se parece el reino de los cielos a un comerciante que andaba buscando perlas finas. 46 Cuando encontró una de gran valor, fue y vendió todo lo que tenía y la compró.
Parábola de la red
47 »También se parece el reino de los cielos a una red echada al lago, que atrapa peces de toda clase. 48 Cuando se llena, los pescadores la sacan a la orilla, se sientan y recogen en canastas los peces buenos y desechan los malos. 49 Así será al fin del mundo. Vendrán los ángeles y apartarán de los justos a los malvados. 50 Luego los arrojarán al horno encendido, donde habrá llanto y crujir de dientes».
51 —¿Han entendido todo esto? —preguntó Jesús.
—Sí —respondieron ellos.
52 Entonces concluyó Jesús:
—Todo maestro de la Ley que ha sido instruido acerca del reino de los cielos es como el dueño de una casa que, de lo que tiene guardado, saca tesoros nuevos y viejos.
Jesús es rechazado en su tierra
53 Cuando Jesús terminó de contar estas parábolas, se fue de allí. 54 Al llegar a su pueblo, comenzó a enseñar a la gente en la sinagoga.
—¿De dónde sacó este tal sabiduría y tales poderes milagrosos? —decían maravillados—. 55 ¿No es acaso el hijo del carpintero? ¿No se llama su madre María y no son sus hermanos Santiago, José, Simón y Judas? 56 ¿No están con nosotros todas sus hermanas? Así que, ¿de dónde sacó todas estas cosas?
57 Y se escandalizaban a causa de él. Pero Jesús les dijo:
—En todas partes se honra a un profeta, menos en su tierra y en su propia casa.
58 Y por la falta de fe de ellos, no hizo allí muchos milagros.
Matthew 13
New King James Version
Matthew 13
New King James Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)
13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house (B)and sat by the sea. 2 (C)And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that (D)He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: (E)“Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some (F)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 (G)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(H)
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because (I)it has been given to you to know the [a]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 (J)For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
(K)‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not (L)perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears (M)are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have (N)closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I [b]should (O)heal them.’
16 But (P)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you (Q)that many prophets and righteous men desired 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(R)
18 (S)“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word (T)of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately (U)receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when (V)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately (W)he stumbles. 22 Now (X)he who received seed (Y)among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears (Z)fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but (AA)gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(AB)
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: (AC)“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a (AD)tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven(AE)
33 (AF)Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three [c]measures of meal till (AG)it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and the Parables
34 (AH)All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
(AI)“I will open My mouth in parables;
(AJ)I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Tares Explained
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 (AK)The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are (AL)the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, (AM)the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, (AN)and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 (AO)and will cast them into the furnace of fire. (AP)There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 (AQ)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (AR)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and (AS)sells all that he has and (AT)buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found (AU)one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and (AV)gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, (AW)separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51 [d]Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, [e]Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every [f]scribe instructed [g]concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure (AX)things new and old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth(AY)
53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 (AZ)When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 (BA)Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And (BB)His brothers (BC)James, [h]Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they (BD)were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, (BE)“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now (BF)He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:11 secret or hidden truths
- Matthew 13:15 NU, M would
- Matthew 13:33 Gr. sata, same as a Heb. seah; approximately 2 pecks in all
- Matthew 13:51 NU omits Jesus said to them
- Matthew 13:51 NU omits Lord
- Matthew 13:52 A scholar of the Old Testament
- Matthew 13:52 Or for
- Matthew 13:55 NU Joseph
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