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.”
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[b] of flour
until it worked all through the dough.”
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.’”
That
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.’[a]
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.”
