Chapter 13

1That same day, Jesus left the house and sat beside the sea.

2Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

3He taught them many things through stories and comparisons. He said, “A farmer went out to sow seed.

4As he scattered the seed, some fell beside the road, and birds came and ate it.

5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was not much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was shallow.

6But when the sun rose, the plants were scorched. Because they had no roots, they dried up.

7Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the plants.

8Other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—some a hundred times what was planted, some sixty times, and some thirty times.

9If you have ears, listen!”

10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you speak to the crowds through stories like these?”

11He answered, “You have been allowed to know the hidden truths of the kingdom of heaven, but the crowds have not.

12Anyone who has understanding will be given more and will have an abundance. But anyone who does not have understanding will lose even what they have.

13This is why I speak to them through stories: they look but do not really see, and they hear but do not really listen or understand.

14Isaiah’s prophecy is coming true among them: ‘You will hear again and again but never understand. You will look again and again but never see.

15The hearts of these people have grown dull. They barely listen 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 back—and I would heal them.’

16But how fortunate you are! Your eyes see, and your ears hear.

17I tell you the truth: many prophets and people who did what was right longed to see what you see, but they did not see it. They longed to hear what you hear, but they did not hear it.

18So listen to what the story of the farmer means.

19When someone hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was planted in that person’s heart. This is the person represented by the seed sown beside the road.

20The seed sown on rocky ground represents someone who hears the message and immediately welcomes it with joy.

21But the message never takes root within that person, so their response lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the message, the person immediately falls away.

22The seed sown among the thorns represents someone who hears the message. But the worries of life in this age and wealth’s deceptive appeal choke the message, so it produces no fruit.

23The seed sown on good soil represents someone who hears the message and understands it. That person produces a crop—one a hundred times what was planted, another sixty times, and another thirty times.”

24Jesus gave them another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.

26When the wheat sprouted and began producing grain, the weeds also appeared.

27The landowner’s servants came and asked him, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?’

28He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’

29He answered, ‘No. While pulling up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them.

30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the harvesters, “Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat into my storehouse.”’”

31Jesus gave them another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

32It is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it grows, it becomes larger than the garden plants and grows into a tree. Then the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

33He gave them another comparison: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman worked into three large measures of flour until it spread through the whole batch.”

34Jesus taught the crowds all these things through stories and comparisons. He said nothing to them without using one.

35In this way, what the prophet had said came true: “I will speak through stories and reveal things hidden since the beginning.”

36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the field.”

37He answered, “I, the Son of Man, am the one who sows the good seed.

38The field is the world. The good seed represents the people who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds represent the people who belong to the evil one.

39The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

41The Son of Man will send his angels. They will remove from his kingdom everything that leads people into sin and everyone who lives in defiance of what is right.

42They will throw them into the blazing furnace. There people will weep and grind their teeth.

43Then those who have done what is right will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. If you have ears, listen!

44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it and hid it again. Full of joy, he went and sold everything he owned and bought that field.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

46When he found one very valuable pearl, he went away, sold everything he owned, and bought it.

47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large fishing net thrown into the sea that gathered every kind of fish.

48When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and put the good fish into containers but threw the bad fish away.

49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate evil people from those who have done what is right.

50They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There people will weep and grind their teeth.

51Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered, “Yes.”

52He told them, “Therefore, every expert in the Scriptures who has become a student of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings both new and old things out of his storeroom.”

53When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left that place.

54He went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue, where they gathered for worship and teaching. They were amazed and asked, “Where did this man get such wisdom and the power to perform these miracles?

55Isn’t he the craftsman’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? Aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

56And don’t all his sisters live here among us? Where, then, did he get all these things?”

57They were offended by him. But Jesus told them, “A prophet receives honor everywhere except in his hometown and in his own household.”

58He did not perform many miracles there because they refused to believe.