On that day ‘Isa went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. 2Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach. 3He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. 6When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. 7Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them: 8and others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9He who has ears to hear, let him hear.“
10The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?“
11He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. 12For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear, neither do they understand. 14In them the prophecy of Shaya is fulfilled, which says,
‘You will be ever hearing,
But never understanding;
You will be ever seeing,
But never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has grown callous,
Their ears are dull of hearing,
They have closed their eyes;
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And turn, and I would heal them.'[1]
16“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17For most assuredly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.
18“Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. 20What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it; 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most assuredly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.“
24He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel[2] also among the wheat, and went away. 26But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel appeared also. 27The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from?’
28“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
29“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel, you root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.“‘”
31He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; 32which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.“
33He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures[3] of meal, until it was all leavened.“
34‘Isa spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.“[4]
36Then ‘Isa sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field.“
37He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is Ibn Adam , 38the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the darnel are the children of the evil one. 39The enemy who sowed them is Iblis. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40As therefore the darnel is gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age. 41Ibn Adam will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
44“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
45“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, 48which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, 50and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.“ 51‘Isa said to them, “Have you understood all these things?“
They answered him, “Yes, Lord.“
52He said to them, “Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.“
53It happened that when ‘Isa had finished these parables, he departed from there. 54Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Maryam, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?“ 57They were offended by him.
But ‘Isa said to them, “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and in his own house.“ 58He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
[1] 13:14-15 Quoting Shaya 6:9-10 in the Taurat.
[2] 13:25 darnel is a weed grass (probably bearded darnel or folium temulentum) that looks very much like wheat until it is mature, when the difference becomes very apparent.
[3] 13:33 Literally, satas. 3 satas = about 0.5 bushel or 22 litres.
[4] 13:35 Quoting the Zabur 78:2.