| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. | 1That day Jesus left the house and sat down beside the sea. |
| 2And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while the whole crowd stood on the shore. | 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood on the shore. |
| 3He told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. | 3Then he began to tell them many things in parables. He said, "Listen! A farmer went out to sow. |
| 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. | 4As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. |
| 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. | 5Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep. |
| 6But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. | 6But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. |
| 7Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them. | 7Other seeds fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew higher and choked them out. |
| 8But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. | 8But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. |
| 9The one who has ears had better listen!" | 9Let the person who has ears listen!" |
| 10Then the disciples came to him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" | 10Then the disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do you speak to people in parables?" |
| 11He replied, "You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. | 11He answered them, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from heaven, but it hasn't been given to them, |
| 12For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. | 12because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him. |
| 13For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. | 13That's why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.' |
| 14And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: 'You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. | 14"With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: 'You will listen and listen but never understand. You will look and look but never comprehend, |
| 15For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' | 15for this people's heart has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that they might not see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' |
| 16"But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. | 16"How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear! |
| 17For I tell you the truth, 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. | 17I tell all of you with certainty, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them." |
| 18"So listen to the parable of the sower: | 18"Listen, then, to the parable about the farmer. |
| 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path. | 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. |
| 20The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. | 20As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once, |
| 21But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. | 21but since he doesn't have any root in himself, he lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls away. |
| 22The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing. | 22As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of wealth choke the word so that it can't produce a crop. |
| 23But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown." | 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, understands it, and produces a crop that yields 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown." |
| 24He presented them with another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. | 24He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom from heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. |
| 25But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. | 25While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. |
| 26When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. | 26When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too. |
| 27So the slaves of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?' | 27"The owner's servants came and asked him, 'Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn't you? Then where did these weeds come from?' |
| 28He said, 'An enemy has done this.' So the slaves replied, 'Do you want us to go and gather them?' | 28"He told them, 'An enemy did this!' "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them out?' |
| 29But he said, 'No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. | 29"He said, 'No! If you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them. |
| 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn."'" | 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn."'" |
| 31He gave them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. | 31He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom from heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. |
| 32It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches." | 32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches." |
| 33He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen." | 33He told them another parable: "The kingdom from heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." |
| 34Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. | 34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. |
| 35This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world." | 35This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet when he said, "I will open my mouth to speak in parables. I will declare what has been hidden since the creation of the world." |
| 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." | 36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field." |
| 37He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. | 37He answered, "The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man, |
| 38The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, | 38while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one. |
| 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. | 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. |
| 40As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. | 40Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the age. |
| 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. | 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness |
| 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | 42and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. |
| 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen! | 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!" |
| 44"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. | 44"The kingdom from heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field." |
| 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. | 45"Again, the kingdom from heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. |
| 46When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it. | 46When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it." |
| 47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. | 47"Again, the kingdom from heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish. |
| 48When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. | 48When it was full, the fishermen hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. |
| 49It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous | 49That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones, |
| 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | 50and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." |
| 51"Have you understood all these things?" They replied, "Yes." | 51"Do you understand all these things?" They told him, "Yes." |
| 52Then he said to them, "Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old." | 52Then he told them, "That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest." |
| 53Now when Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there. | 53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. |
| 54Then he came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? | 54He went to his hometown and began teaching the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? |
| 55Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary? And aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? | 55This is the builder's son, isn't it? His mother is named Mary, isn't she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren't they? |
| 56And aren't all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?" | 56And his sisters are all with us, aren't they? So where did this man get all these things?" |
| 57And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house." | 57And they were offended by him. But Jesus told them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home." |
| 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. | 58He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief. |
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