Matthew 13 - New International Version (NIV)

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

1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
2. Matthew 13:33 Or about 27 kilograms
3. Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2

Cross references

1. Matthew 13:1 : 13:1-15pp — Mk 4:1-12; Lk 8:4-10
2. Matthew 13:1 : 13:16, 17pp — Lk 10:23, 24
3. Matthew 13:1 : 13:18-23pp — Mk 4:13-20; Lk 8:11-15
4. Matthew 13:1 : ver 36; Mt 9:28
5. Matthew 13:2 : Lk 5:3
6. Matthew 13:8 : Ge 26:12
7. Matthew 13:9 : S Mt 11:15
8. Matthew 13:11 : S Mt 3:2
9. Matthew 13:11 : Mt 11:25; 16:17; 19:11; Jn 6:65; 1Co 2:10, 14; Col 1:27; 1Jn 2:20, 27
10. Matthew 13:12 : S Mt 25:29
11. Matthew 13:13 : Dt 29:4; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2
12. Matthew 13:14 : ver 35; S Mt 1:22
13. Matthew 13:15 : Isa 6:9, 10; Jn 12:40; Ac 28:26, 27; Ro 11:8
14. Matthew 13:16 : Mt 16:17
15. Matthew 13:17 : Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1Pe 1:10-12
16. Matthew 13:19 : Mt 4:23
17. Matthew 13:19 : S Mt 5:37
18. Matthew 13:21 : Mt 11:6; 26:31
19. Matthew 13:22 : Mt 19:23; 1Ti 6:9, 10, 17
20. Matthew 13:23 : ver 8
21. Matthew 13:24 : ver 31, 33, 45, 47; Mt 18:23; 20:1; 22:2; 25:1; Mk 4:26, 30
22. Matthew 13:30 : Mt 3:12
23. Matthew 13:31 : 13:31, 32pp — Mk 4:30-32
24. Matthew 13:31 : 13:31-33pp — Lk 13:18-21
25. Matthew 13:31 : S ver 24
26. Matthew 13:31 : Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6
27. Matthew 13:32 : Ps 104:12; Eze 17:23; 31:6; Da 4:12
28. Matthew 13:33 : S ver 24
29. Matthew 13:33 : Ge 18:6
30. Matthew 13:33 : Gal 5:9
31. Matthew 13:34 : S Jn 16:25
32. Matthew 13:35 : ver 14; S Mt 1:22
33. Matthew 13:35 : Ps 78:2; Ro 16:25, 26; 1Co 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26
34. Matthew 13:36 : Mt 15:15
35. Matthew 13:37 : S Mt 8:20
36. Matthew 13:38 : Jn 8:44, 45; 1Jn 3:10
37. Matthew 13:39 : Joel 3:13
38. Matthew 13:39 : Mt 24:3; 28:20
39. Matthew 13:39 : Rev 14:15
40. Matthew 13:41 : S Mt 8:20
41. Matthew 13:41 : Mt 24:31
42. Matthew 13:42 : S Mt 8:12
43. Matthew 13:43 : Da 12:3
44. Matthew 13:43 : S Mt 11:15
45. Matthew 13:44 : S ver 24
46. Matthew 13:44 : Isa 55:1; Mt 19:21; Php 3:7, 8
47. Matthew 13:45 : S ver 24
48. Matthew 13:47 : S ver 24
49. Matthew 13:47 : Mt 22:10
50. Matthew 13:49 : Mt 25:32
51. Matthew 13:50 : S Mt 8:12
52. Matthew 13:53 : 13:54-58pp — Mk 6:1-6
53. Matthew 13:53 : S Mt 7:28
54. Matthew 13:54 : S Mt 4:23
55. Matthew 13:54 : S Mt 7:28
56. Matthew 13:55 : Lk 3:23; Jn 6:42
57. Matthew 13:55 : S Mt 12:46
58. Matthew 13:55 : S Mt 12:46
59. Matthew 13:57 : Jn 6:61
60. Matthew 13:57 : Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44