Matthew 13

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside,	1 On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
2 but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stoodon the shore,	2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
3 and he told them many things in parables. He said, 'Listen, a sower went out to sow.	3 And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.
4 As he sowed, some seeds fel on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up.	4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.
5 Others fel on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was nodepth of earth;	5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
6 but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.	6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.
7 Others fel among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.	7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
8 Others fel on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.	8 But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
9 Anyone who has ears should listen!'	9 Whoever has ears ought to hear."
10 Then the disciples went up to him and asked, 'Why do you talk to them in parables?'	10 The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
11 In answer, he said, 'Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom ofHeaven, but to them it is not granted.	11 He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
12 Anyone who has wil be given more and wil have more than enough; but anyone who has not will bedeprived even of what he has.	12 To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13 The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing orunderstanding.	13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.'
14 So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfil ed: Listen and listen, but neverunderstand! Look and look, but never perceive!	14 Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand you shall indeed look but never see.
15 This people's heart has grown coarse, their ears dul ed, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid usingtheir eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me.	15 Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.'
16 'But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear!	16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
17 In truth I tel you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; tohear what you hear, and never heard it.	17 Amen, I say to 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 'So pay attention to the parable of the sower.	18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carriesoff what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path.	19 The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.
20 The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy.	20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
21 But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or somepersecution on account of the word, at once he falls away.	21 But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.
22 The seed sown in thorns is someone who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure ofriches choke the word and so it produces nothing.	22 The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.
23 And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the onewho yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.'	23 But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."
24 He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man whosowed good seed in his field.	24 He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off.	25 While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
26 When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as wel .	26 When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
27 The owner's labourers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field?If so, where does the darnel come from?"	27 The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?'
28 He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the labourers said, "Do you want us to go andweed it out?"	28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29 But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pul up the wheat with it.	29 He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.
30 Let them both grow til the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First col ect thedarnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn." '	30 Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
31 He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a mantook and sowed in his field.	31 He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.
32 It is the smal est of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest of shrubs and becomes atree, so that the birds of the air can come and shelter in its branches.'	32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"
33 He told them another parable, 'The kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed inwith three measures of flour til it was leavened al through.'	33 He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."
34 In al this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except inparables.	34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables,
35 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: I will speak to you in parables, unfold what hasbeen hidden since the foundation of the world.	35 to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation (of the world)."
36 Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain tous the parable about the darnel in the field.'	36 Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
37 He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of man.	37 He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
38 The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of theEvil One;	38 the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,
39 the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels.	39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it wil be at the end of time.	40 Just as weeds are collected and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41 The Son of man wil send his angels and they wil gather out of his kingdom al causes of fal ing andal who do evil,	41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
42 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.	42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
43 Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears shouldlisten!	43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
44 'The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again,goes off in his joy, sel s everything he owns and buys the field.	44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls;	45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46 when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.	46 When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
47 'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of al kindsof fish.	47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.
48 When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in basketsand throw away those that are no use.	48 When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.
49 This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels wil appear and separate the wicked from theupright,	49 Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 to throw them into the blazing furnace, where there wil be weeping and grinding of teeth.	50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
51 'Have you understood al these?' They said, 'Yes.'	51 "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes."
52 And he said to them, 'Wel then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of Heaven islike a householder who brings out from his storeroom new things as well as old.'	52 And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."
53 When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district;	53 When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.
54 and, coming to his home town, he taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they wereastonished and said, 'Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?	54 He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
55 This is the carpenter's son, surely? Is not his mother the woman cal ed Mary, and his brothers Jamesand Joseph and Simon and Jude?	55 Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56 His sisters, too, are they not al here with us? So where did the man get it all?'	56 Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?"
57 And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is despised only in his owncountry and in his own house,'	57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house."
58 and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.	58 And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.