The Parable of the Sower
1That
same day
Jesus went
out of the
house and
sat by the
lake.
2 Such
large
crowds
gathered
around him
that he
got into a
boat 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,
sixty or
thirty
times what
was sown.
9 Whoever
has ears,
let them
hear.”
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 has
been given
to you,
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.
13 This
is why I
speak to
them in
parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though
hearing,
they do
not hear
or
understand.
14 In
them is
fulfilled
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.’
16 But
blessed
are your
eyes
because
they see,
and your
ears
because
they hear.
17 For
truly I
tell you,
many
prophets
and
righteous
people
longed to
see what
you see
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
and does
not
understand
it, the
evil one
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.
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
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.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like 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.’”
The Parables of the Mustard
Seed and
the Yeast
31 He told them another parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard
seed,
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.”
33 He told them still another parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a
woman took
and mixed
into about
sixty
pounds of
flour
until it
worked all
through
the
dough.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the
crowd in
parables;
he did not
say
anything
to them
without
using a
parable.
35 So
was
fulfilled
what was
spoken
through
the
prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I
will utter
things
hidden
since the
creation
of the
world.”
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 of
the weeds
in the
field.”
37 He answered,
“The one
who sowed
the good
seed is
the Son of
Man.
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,
39 and
the enemy
who sows
them is
the devil.
The
harvest is
the end of
the age,
and the
harvesters
are
angels.
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
will send
out his
angels,
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.
43 Then
the
righteous
will shine
like the
sun in the
kingdom of
their
Father.
Whoever
has ears,
let them
hear.
The Parables of the Hidden
Treasure
and the
Pearl
44 “The
kingdom of
heaven is
like
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.
45 “Again,
the
kingdom of
heaven is
like 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 a net
that was
let down
into the
lake and
caught all
kinds 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
50 and
throw them
into the
blazing
furnace,
where
there will
be weeping
and
gnashing
of teeth.
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
53 When Jesus had finished these
parables,
he moved
on from
there.
54 Coming
to his
hometown,
he began
teaching
the people
in their
synagogue,
and they
were
amazed.
“Where did
this man
get this
wisdom and
these
miraculous
powers?”
they
asked.
55 “Isn’t
this the
carpenter’s
son? Isn’t
his
mother’s
name Mary,
and aren’t
his
brothers
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 at
him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet
is not
without
honor
except in
his own
town and
in his own
home.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.