1On that day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lake.
2Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3He told them many things using stories, saying, “Listen! A farmer went out to plant seeds.
4As he sowed, some seeds fell by the road, and birds came and ate them.
5Other seeds fell on rocky ground where there wasn't much soil. They sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep.
6When the sun came up, the plants were scorched. They dried up because they didn't have deep roots.
7Other seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the plants.
8But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a harvest: some plants yielded one hundred times as much, some sixty times, and some thirty times.
9Anyone who has ears to hear should listen.
10His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use stories when you talk to them?"
11He answered them, "You are allowed to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but they are not.
12Because whoever has will be given more, and they will have plenty. But whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away from them.
13That is why I use stories when I speak to them: because even though they look, they don't really see, and even though they listen, they don't really hear or understand.
14This fulfills Isaiah's prophecy, which says, 'You will hear and hear but never understand; you will see and see but never perceive.
15For the hearts of these people have become dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn to me, and I would heal them.'
16But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17I assure you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but didn't see it; and to hear what you hear, but didn't hear it.
18So listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer.
19When someone hears the message about the Kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is like the seed sown by the road.
20The seed sown on rocky ground is like someone who hears the message and immediately receives it with joy;
21but they have no deep roots, so they last only for a while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they quickly fall away.
22The seed sown among thorns is like someone who hears the message, but the worries of this life and the false promises of wealth choke the message, and it produces nothing.
23But the seed sown on good soil is like someone who hears the message and understands it. This person certainly produces a crop, yielding one hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown."
24Jesus told them another story: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who planted good seeds in his field.
25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left.
26When the plants grew and produced grain, the weeds also appeared.
27The owner’s servants came to him and asked, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seeds in your field? Where did these weeds come from?’
28He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29He answered, ‘No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until harvest time. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First, gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then, gather the wheat and put it into my barn.’”
31He told them another story: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.
32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is larger than other garden plants and becomes a tree, so that birds come and make nests in its branches.”
33He told them another story: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until all the dough rose.”
34Jesus told all these things to the crowds in stories; he never spoke to them without using a story.
35This fulfilled what the prophet said: “I will speak in parables; I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
36Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. His followers came to him and said, “Explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37He answered, “The one who plants the good seed is the Son of Man.
38The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.
39The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes people to sin and all who do wrong.
42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen.
44“Also, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, then hid it again. Because he was so happy, he went and sold everything he owned and bought that field.
45“Also, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for beautiful pearls.
46When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
47“Also, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a large net that was thrown into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.
48When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and put the good fish into baskets, but threw the bad fish away.
49The same thing will happen at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous people.
50and throw them into the fiery furnace. There people will cry and grind their teeth in pain.”
51Jesus asked them, “Do you understand all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
52Then he said to them, “So, every teacher of the law who has become a student in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings out new and old treasures from his storage.”
53When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left that place.
54When he came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and these powerful abilities?
55Isn't this the carpenter’s son? Isn't his mother named Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
56Aren’t all his sisters living right here with us? So where did this man get all these things?”
57They were offended by him. But Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and in his own family.”
58He didn’t do many miracles there because they didn't believe.