| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. | 1On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. |
| 2A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. | 2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. |
| 3He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. | 3Then He told them many things in parables, saying: "Consider the sower who went out to sow. |
| 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. | 4As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. |
| 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. | 5Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn't much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn't deep. |
| 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. | 6But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. |
| 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. | 7Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. |
| 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! | 8Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. |
| 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” | 9Anyone who has ears should listen!" |
| 10His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” | 10Then the disciples came up and asked Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" |
| 11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. | 11He answered them, "Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. |
| 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. | 12For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. |
| 13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. | 13For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. |
| 14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. | 14Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look, yet never perceive. |
| 15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ | 15For this people's heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back-- and I would cure them. |
| 16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. | 16"But your eyes are blessed because they do see, and your ears because they do hear! |
| 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it. | 17For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn't see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn't hear them. |
| 18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: | 18"You, then, listen to the parable of the sower: |
| 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. | 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. |
| 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. | 20And the one sown on rocky ground--this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. |
| 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. | 21Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. |
| 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. | 22Now the one sown among the thorns--this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. |
| 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Parable of the Wheat and Weeds | 23But the one sown on the good ground--this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown." |
| 24Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. | 24He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. |
| 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. | 25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. |
| 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. | 26When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. |
| 27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ | 27The landowner's slaves came to him and said, Master, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?' |
| 28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. | 28"An enemy did this!' he told them. "'So, do you want us to go and gather them up?' the slaves asked him. |
| 29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. | 29"No,' he said. When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. |
| 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” Parable of the Mustard Seed | 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I'll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.'" |
| 31Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. | 31He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. |
| 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Parable of the Yeast | 32It's the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it's taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches." |
| 33Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” | 33He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it." |
| 34Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. | 34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable, |
| 35This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world. ” Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained | 35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open My mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world. |
| 36Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” | 36Then He dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached Him and said, "Explain the parable of the weeds in the field to us." |
| 37Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. | 37He replied: "The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; |
| 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. | 38the field is the world; and the good seed--these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, |
| 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. | 39and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. |
| 40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. | 40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. |
| 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. | 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness. |
| 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. |
| 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl | 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen! |
| 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. | 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. |
| 45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. | 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. |
| 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! Parable of the Fishing Net | 46When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it. |
| 47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. | 47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, |
| 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. | 48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. |
| 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, | 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, |
| 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | 50and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. |
| 51 Do you understand all these things?” “Yes,” they said, “we do.” | 51"Have you understood all these things?"" Yes," they told Him. |
| 52Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.” Jesus Rejected at Nazareth | 52"Therefore," He said to them, "every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old." |
| 53When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. | 53When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there. |
| 54He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” | 54He went to His hometown and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "How did this wisdom and these miracles come to Him? |
| 55Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. | 55Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother called Mary, and His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? |
| 56All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” | 56And His sisters, aren't they all with us? So where does He get all these things?" |
| 57And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” | 57And they were offended by Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household." |
| 58And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. | 58And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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