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:

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled^(L) the prophecy of Isaiah:

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:

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.

The Danites Settle in Laish

18 In those days Israel had no king.^(A)

And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.^{(B) 2} So the Danites^(C) sent five of their leading men^(D) from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out^(E) the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, “Go, explore the land.”^(F)

So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah,^(G) where they spent the night. ³ When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite;^(H) so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

⁴ He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.^(I)”

⁵ Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God^(J) to learn whether our journey will be successful.”

⁶ The priest answered them, “Go in peace^(K). Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”

⁷ So the five men^(L) left and came to Laish,^(M) where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure.^(N) And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous.^[a] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians^(O) and had no relationship with anyone else.^[b]

⁸ When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”

⁹ They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.^{(P) 10} When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing^(Q) whatever.^(R)”

¹¹ Then six hundred men^(S) of the Danites,^(T) armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. ¹² On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim^(U) in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan^[c](V) to this day. ¹³ From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.^(W)

¹⁴ Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish^(X) said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod,^(Y) some household gods and an image overlaid with silver?^(Z) Now you know what to do.” ¹⁵ So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him. ¹⁶ The six hundred Danites,^(AA) armed for battle, stood at the entrance of the gate. ¹⁷ The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods^(AB) while the priest and the six hundred armed men^(AC) stood at the entrance of the gate.

¹⁸ When the five men went into Micah’s house and took^(AD) the idol, the ephod and the household gods,^(AE) the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

¹⁹ They answered him, “Be quiet!^(AF) Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest.^(AG) Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan^(AH) in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” ²⁰ The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people. ²¹ Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.

²² When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. ²³ As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”

²⁴ He replied, “You took^(AI) the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”

²⁵ The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.” ²⁶ So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him,^(AJ) turned around and went back home.

²⁷ Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure.^(AK) They attacked them with the sword and burned^(AL) down their city.^{(AM) 28} There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon^(AN) and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.^(AO)

The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. ²⁹ They named it Dan^(AP) after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish.^{(AQ) 30} There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom,^(AR) the son of Moses,^[d] and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. ³¹ They continued to use the idol Micah had made,^(AS) all the time the house of God^(AT) was in Shiloh.^(AU)

A Levite and His Concubine

19 In those days Israel had no king.

Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim^(AV) took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.^{(AW) 2} But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, ³ her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. ⁴ His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking,^(AX) and sleeping there.

⁵ On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself^(AY) with something to eat; then you can go.” ⁶ So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.^(AZ)” ⁷ And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. ⁸ On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.

⁹ Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.” ¹⁰ But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus^(BA) (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

¹¹ When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites^(BB) and spend the night.”

¹² His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” ¹³ He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah^(BC) and spend the night in one of those places.” ¹⁴ So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.^{(BD) 15} There they stopped to spend the night.^(BE) They went and sat in the city square,^(BF) but no one took them in for the night.

¹⁶ That evening^(BG) an old man from the hill country of Ephraim,^(BH) who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. ¹⁷ When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”^(BI)

¹⁸ He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord.^[e](BJ) No one has taken me in for the night. ¹⁹ We have both straw and fodder^(BK) for our donkeys^(BL) and bread and wine^(BM) for ourselves your servants—me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”

²⁰ “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” ²¹ So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.^(BN)

²² While they were enjoying themselves,^(BO) some of the wicked men^(BP) of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.^(BQ)”

²³ The owner of the house went outside^(BR) and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing.^{(BS) 24} Look, here is my virgin daughter,^(BT) and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”

²⁵ But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her^(BU) and abused her^(BV) throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. ²⁶ At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

²⁷ When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. ²⁸ He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

²⁹ When he reached home, he took a knife^(BW) and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.^{(BX) 30} Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt.^(BY) Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!^(BZ)”