And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold a sower went out to sow. And while he was sowing, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and ate them up. read more.
And others fell among stones, where they had not much earth: and sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of earth: and the sun having risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. But others fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell in good ground, and gave fruit, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty. Let him that hath ears to hear, hear. And His disciples coming, said to Him; Wherefore do you speak to them in parables? He responding said to them, Because it has been given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. But whosoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have more abundantly: but whosoever has not, it shall be taken from him even what he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled unto them, saying, By hearing ye shall hear, and may not understand; and seeing you shall see, and may not perceive. Because the heart of this people is waxed gross, and they heard heavily with their ears, and closed their eyes; lest they may see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I shall heal them. But happy are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. Truly I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see those things which you see, and saw them not; and to hear those things which you hear, and heard them not. Therefore hear ye the parable of the sower. Every one hearing the word of the kingdom, and not understanding it, the wicked one comes, and seizes away that which is sown in his heart: he is the one sown by the wayside. But the one sown upon the rocks, is he who heareth the word, and immediately with joy receives it; but it has no root in him, but is temporary; and tribulation or persecution arising on account of the word, immediately he is offended. But the one sown among the thorns, is he who heareth the word; and the care of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke out the word, and he becomes unfruitful. And the one having been sown on good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who truly bears fruit, and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty. He put forth another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man sowing good seed in his field. And while the men slept, an enemy came, and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and departed. And when the blades sprang up, and produced fruit, then the tares were also made manifest. And the servants of the landlord having come to him said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? whence then hath it tares? And he said to them, A hostile man did this. And the servants say to him, Then do you wish that we, having gone, may gather them? And he says, No; lest gathering the tares together you may at the same time along with them root up the wheat. Let both grow together till the harvest: and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, First gather the tares, and bind them in bundles, in order to burn them: and gather the wheat into my barn. And He submitted another parable to them, saying; The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which, a man having taken, sowed in his field; which indeed is the smallest of all seeds; and when it grows up, is the greatest of herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven indeed lodge in its branches. And he spake another parable unto them; The kingdom of the heavens is like unto the leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. Jesus spoke all of these things to the multitudes in parables; and without a parable He was not speaking to them: in order that the word spoken by Isaiah, the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables: I will make known the things which have been hidden from the foundation. Then leaving the multitudes, He came into the house: and His disciples came to Him saying; Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. And He responding said, The one sowing the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the wicked one, and the enemy sowing them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels. Then as the tares are gathered and burnt up with fire; so it will be in the end of the age. The Son of man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of the fire: and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. But let the one having ears, hear.
Godbey