13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake [C the Sea of Galilee].
13:2 Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore.
13:3 Then Jesus used ·stories [parables] to teach them many things. He said: “A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed.
13:4 While he was ·planting [sowing], some seed fell ·by the road [along the path], and the birds came and ate it all up.
13:5 Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed ·grew [sprang up] very fast, because the ground was not deep.
13:6 But when the sun rose, the plants ·dried up [were scorched and withered], because they did not have deep roots.
13:7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants.
13:8 Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced ·a crop [grain]. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.
13:9 ·Let those with ears use them and listen [L The one who has ears to hear, let him hear].”
13:10 The ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you ·use stories to teach the people [L speak to them in parables]?”
13:11 Jesus answered, “·You have been chosen [L It has been granted/given to you] to ·know [understand] the ·secrets [mysteries] about the kingdom of heaven, but ·others cannot know these secrets [L it has not been given/granted to those others].
13:12 Those who ·have understanding [L have] will be given more, and they will have ·all they need [an abundance]. But those who do not ·have understanding [L have], even what they have will be taken away from them.
13:13 This is why I ·use stories to teach the people [L speak in parables]: [L Because] They ·see [look], but they don’t ·really see [perceive]. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand.
13:14 ·So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true [L In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says]: ‘You will ·listen and listen [keep on hearing; or listen intently], but you will not understand. You will ·look and look [keep on seeing; or look intently], but you will not ·learn [perceive; comprehend].
13:15 For the ·minds [hearts] of these people have become ·stubborn [dull; calloused; hardened]. They ·do not [hardly] hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand ·in their minds [with their hearts] and ·come back [turn; return] to me and ·be healed [I would heal them; Is. 6:9–10].’
13:16 But ·you [L your eyes] are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears.
13:17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and ·good [righteous; just] people ·wanted [longed] to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they ·wanted [longed] to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.
13:18 “So listen to the ·meaning of that story about the farmer [parable of the sower].
13:19 What is the seed that fell ·by the road [along the path]? That seed is like ·the person [anyone] who hears the ·message [word; teaching] about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and ·takes away [snatches] what was ·planted [sown] in that person’s heart.
13:20 And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] and quickly ·accepts [receives] it with joy.
13:21 But ·he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so [L since he has no root in himself] ·he keeps it only a short time [he does not endure; it is shortlived]. When trouble or persecution comes because of the ·teaching he accepted [word, message], he ·quickly [immediately] ·gives up [falls away; stumbles].
13:22 And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] but lets worries about this ·life [world; age] and the ·temptation [deceitfulness; seduction] of wealth ·stop that teaching from growing [L choke the word/message]. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life.
13:23 But what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces ·fruit [a crop], sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”
13:24 Then Jesus ·told [presented to] them another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who ·planted [sowed] good seed in his field.
13:25 That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and ·planted [sowed] ·weeds [T tares; C a noxious weed that looks like wheat] among the wheat and then left.
13:26 Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain grew, but the ·weeds [T tares] also ·grew [appeared].
13:27 Then the man’s ·servants [slaves] came to him and said, ‘[Master; Sir] ·You planted [L Didn’t you sow…?] good seed in your field. Where did the ·weeds [T tares] come from?’
13:28 The man answered, ‘An enemy ·planted weeds [L did this].’ The ·servants [slaves] asked, ‘Do you want us to ·pull up the weeds [L go and gather them]?’
13:29 The man answered, ‘No, because when you ·pull up [gather] the ·weeds [T tares], you might also ·pull up [uproot] the wheat.
13:30 Let ·the weeds and the wheat [L both] grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the ·workers [reapers], “First gather the ·weeds [T tares] and tie them ·together [in bundles] to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.”’”
13:31 Then Jesus ·told [presented to them] another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man ·planted [sowed] in his field.
13:32 That seed is the smallest of all seeds [C the mustard seed was the smallest seed known to Jesus’ hearers], but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes ·big enough [L a tree] for the ·wild birds [L birds of the sky] to come and build nests in its branches.”
13:33 Then Jesus told another ·story [parable]: “The kingdom of heaven is like ·yeast [leaven] that a woman took and ·hid [mixed] in a large tub [C Greek: three sata; about fifty pounds] of flour until ·it made all the dough rise [L the whole was leavened; Luke 13:20–21].”
13:34 Jesus used ·stories [parables] to tell all these things to the people; he ·always used stories to teach them [L did not speak to them without parables; Mark 4:33–34].
13:35 This ·is as [fulfills what] the prophet said: “I will ·speak using [L open my mouth in] ·stories [parables]; I will ·tell [announce; utter] things ·that have been secret [hidden] since the ·world was made [creation/foundation of the world. Ps. 78:2].”
13:36 Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His ·followers [disciples] came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the ·story [parable] about the ·weeds [T tares] in the field.”
13:37 Jesus answered, “The man who ·planted [sowed] the good seed in the field is the Son of Man.
13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed are ·all of God’s children who belong to the kingdom [L the children/sons of the kingdom]. The ·weeds [T tares] are ·those people who belong to the Evil One [L the children/sons of the Evil One].
13:39 And the enemy who ·planted [sowed] the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age, and the ·workers who gather [harvesters; reapers] are God’s angels.
13:40 “Just as the ·weeds [T tares] are ·pulled up [gathered] and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will ·gather [remove; weed] out of his kingdom ·all who [or all things that] ·cause sin [T are stumbling blocks] and all who ·do evil [break God’s law].
13:42 The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace [Dan. 3:6], where ·the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [L there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; C indicating agony and remorse].
13:43 Then the ·good people [righteous] will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father [Dan. 12:3]. ·Let those with ears use them and listen [L The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.].
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so ·happy [joyful; excited] that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.
13:45 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
13:46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a ·net [dragnet; C a net dragged between two boats, or between a boat and the shore] that was put into the ·lake [sea] and caught many different kinds of fish.
13:48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the ·bad [worthless] fish.
13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the ·good [righteous] people.
13:50 The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace [Dan. 3:11, 19–30], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [L there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; v. 42].”
13:51 Jesus asked his ·followers [disciples], “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.”
13:52 Then Jesus said to them, “So every ·teacher of the law [scribe] who has ·been taught about [become a disciple of] the kingdom of heaven is like the ·owner [head] of a house. He brings out both new things and old things ·he has saved [L from his treasure/storeroom; C knowledge of the Old Testament provides insight into Jesus’ “new” message of the kingdom of God].”
13:53 When Jesus finished teaching [see 7:28] with these ·stories [parables], he left there.
13:54 He went to his hometown [C Nazareth; 2:23; Luke 2:39] and taught the people in their synagogue, and they were ·amazed [astonished]. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles?
13:55 ·He is just [Isn’t this…?] the son of ·a [L the] carpenter. ·His mother is Mary [L Isn’t his mother called Mary…?], and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
13:56 And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does this man get all these things?”
13:57 So the people were ·upset with [offended by] Jesus. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is ·honored everywhere [not dishonored] except in his hometown and in his own ·home [family; household].”
13:58 So he did not do many miracles there because ·they had no faith [of their unbelief].
Your support helps pay our hosting costs, and
- with a little bit extra -
lets us pay transcribers and proofreaders.
If you can help, Click here to become a Patreon:
www.patreon.com/IslamAwakened Thank you!