Thematic Bible
Matthew 13:1 (show verse)
That day Jesus left the house and sat by the seashore.
Matthew 13:2 (show verse)
Large crowds gathered to him. He entered a boat while the crowd stood on the shore.
Matthew 13:3 (show verse)
He told them many illustrations. He said: A farmer went out to sow.
Matthew 13:4 (show verse)
Some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds devoured them.
Matthew 13:5 (show verse)
Others fell on rocky places and did not have much soil.
Matthew 13:6 (show verse)
When they grew, the sun scorched them, and because they had no root they withered and died.
Matthew 13:7 (show verse)
Others fell upon the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.
Matthew 13:8 (show verse)
Some fell on good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
Matthew 13:9 (show verse)
He that has ears let him hear.
Matthew 13:10 (show verse)
The disciples asked him: Why do you speak in illustrations?
Matthew 13:11 (show verse)
He responded: You are allowed to know the divine secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it is not for others to know. (The Greek word for you is plural and is applied to the disciples as a group.)
Matthew 13:12 (show verse)
He who has shall receive more to the point of abundance. He who does not have, it shall be taken away including that which he has.
Matthew 13:13 (show verse)
I speak to them in illustrations (stories) (parables) (allegories), because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear. They just do not understand.
Matthew 13:14 (show verse)
The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. 'By hearing, you shall hear, and shall in no way understand. By seeing you shall see, and shall in no way perceive.
Matthew 13:15 (show verse)
The heart of this people is callous and dull. Their ears are plugged. They cannot hear. They closed their eyes and cannot see. They cannot see nor hear nor understand with their heart. They should turn around and I would heal them.'
Matthew 13:16 (show verse)
Happy and blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
Matthew 13:17 (show verse)
Truly, I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things that you see, and could not see them. They also desired to hear the things that you hear, and could not hear them.
Matthew 13:18 (show verse)
Listen to the illustration of the sower.
Matthew 13:19 (show verse)
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one takes away that which was sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
Matthew 13:20 (show verse)
Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it.
Matthew 13:21 (show verse)
There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away.
Matthew 13:22 (show verse)
He that was sown among thorns hears the word. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Matthew 13:23 (show verse)
He that was sown upon the good ground hears the word, and understands it. He bears fruit, producing sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes thirty.
Matthew 13:24 (show verse)
He told another illustration, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man that sowed good seed in his field.
Matthew 13:25 (show verse)
While he slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds with the wheat, and went away.
Matthew 13:26 (show verse)
When the blade sprouted and brought forth fruit, it looked like wheat.
Matthew 13:27 (show verse)
The servants of the householder said to him: 'Sir, did you sow good seed in your field? Why does it have weeds mixed in with the good wheat?'
Matthew 13:28 (show verse)
He replied: 'An enemy did this.' The servants offered to remove the weeds.
Matthew 13:29 (show verse)
He said: 'No, you might uproot the wheat with them.
Matthew 13:30 (show verse)
Let both grow together until the harvest. In the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather weeds first, and bind them in bundles to burn them. Then gather the wheat into my barn.'
Matthew 13:31 (show verse)
In another illustration Jesus said: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man sowed in his field.
Matthew 13:32 (show verse)
Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. Yet when it grows it becomes as large as a tree. In fact the birds of heaven lodge in the branches.
Matthew 13:33 (show verse)
He offered another illustration: The kingdom of heaven is similar to leaven. A woman hid leaven in three measures of meal until it was all leavened.
Matthew 13:34 (show verse)
Jesus spoke with illustrations to the crowds. He did not speak anything without using illustrations.
Matthew 13:35 (show verse)
That which was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled, saying: I will open my mouth in illustrations. I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 13:36 (show verse)
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples gathered near him. They said: Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field.
Matthew 13:37 (show verse)
Jesus said: He that sows the good seed is the Son of man.
Matthew 13:38 (show verse)
The field is the world (the society of mankind). The good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.
Matthew 13:39 (show verse)
The enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are angels.
Matthew 13:40 (show verse)
The weeds are gathered up and burned (destroyed) with fire. It will be this way at the end of the age.
Matthew 13:41 (show verse)
The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who stumble others and commit lawlessness.
Matthew 13:42 (show verse)
The angels will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:43 (show verse)
The righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears let him hear.
Matthew 13:44 (show verse)
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found the treasure and hid it again in the field. He is so filled with joy he sells everything he owns and buys the field.
Matthew 13:45 (show verse)
The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking valuable pearls.
Matthew 13:46 (show verse)
When he found one pearl of great value, he sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matthew 13:47 (show verse)
The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea. It gathered fish of every kind.
Matthew 13:48 (show verse)
They drew it up on the beach when it was full. They gathered the good into containers and threw away the bad.
Matthew 13:49 (show verse)
It will be that way at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous.
Matthew 13:50 (show verse)
The wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:51 (show verse)
Have you understood all these things? They said to him: Yes.
Matthew 13:52 (show verse)
And he said to them: Every scribe (journalist) (writer) who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
Matthew 13:53 (show verse)
After Jesus finished telling these illustrations, he left.
Matthew 13:54 (show verse)
He went to his own country and taught in the synagogue. They were astonished and asked where this man got this wisdom and these mighty works.
Matthew 13:55 (show verse)
Is this man the carpenter's son? Is his mother called Mary? Are his brothers James and Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Matthew 13:56 (show verse)
Are his sisters all with us? Where did he get all these things?
Matthew 13:57 (show verse)
They resented him. But Jesus responded to them: A prophet is without honor in his own country, and in his own house.
Matthew 13:58 (show verse)
He did not do many mighty works there because of their lack of faith.