1. Then one day by the sea, He began to teach and such a large crowd formed to listen that He got into a boat and pushed off from the shore and taught them as they waited by the sea on the land.
2. And He taught them many things in parables, and this He said to them in His teaching:
3. "The sower went out to sow, and as he did, some seeds fell beside the road and the birds came and ate them up.
4. "Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil beneath it. And when the sun had risen, it scorched the plant; and because it had no root it withered away.
5. "Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them, and they yielded no crop at all.
6. "Other seeds fell into good soil, and they grew strong and increased their yield, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.
7. "To those who have ears to hear, let them hear."
8. As soon as He was alone some of His disciples began asking Him about the parable. And Mary (of Magdalene) asked the Lord, "Are You addressing this parable to only us, or to all people?"
9. And He said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it has not been granted, and those who are outside hear everything in parables, so that while seeing with their eyes, they see nothing, and while hearing with their ears, they understand nothing.
10. "For the heart of these people have become dull, otherwise they would turn and I would heal them."
11. And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? If you do not understand this parable, how will you ever understand any other?
12. "Nevertheless, blessed are your eyes because they see; and your ears because they can hear. For truly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not. They desired to hear what you can hear and never heard it."
13. Then Jesus explained, "The sower sows the word of God.
14. "When the word falls on those beside the road, they hear the word, but do not understand it. Therefore, Satan comes at once and steals it away so they will not believe and be saved.
15. "When the word falls on those in the rocky places, they immediately receive it with joy, but they have no root in themselves, and as soon as persecution arises because of the word, or temptations come, they immediately fall away.
16. "Others are those who are among the thorns when the word comes to them, but the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the pleasures of this life, and the desire for other things choke the word, and it brings forth no fruit to maturity.
17. "But the ones who are the good soil where the word is sown, hear it and accept it in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with it, some thirty, some sixty, and some even a hundred fold."
18. Then Jesus taught them in the following manner: "Do not lie, and do not do what you hate, for all things are disclosed before heaven.
19. "For a lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, but rather to be set on a table, and nothing is hidden that is not intended to be revealed; There is nothing secret that will not come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear this.
20. "And take care how you listen. By your standard of measure, it will be measured out to you, and more will be given to you as well, because to whomever has more will be given, but to him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
21. And then He said to them, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God? What parable will describe it?
22. "It's like a man who casts seed upon the soil and goes to bed, and when he awakes in the day, the seed sprouts and grows--how it does so is a mystery to him.
23. "The soil produces the crop all by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the whole grain in the head, and when the crop is ready, the man immediately gathers it to himself, for the harvest has come.
24. "The kingdom is like a mustard seed which when sown upon the soil is the smallest of seeds, but it grows to become the largest of all the plants in the garden, and its branches grow large enough for the birds of the air to nest within its shade."
25. With such parables, Jesus spoke his words to the people, as much as they were able to hear it. And He did not speak to the masses without a parable, but would always, in private, explain the meaning to His disciples.
26. For as He said, "I disclose my mysteries only to those who are worthy." And with His mouth, He uttered things hidden since the foundation of the world.
27. And He spoke to the people in another parable saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
28. "But while his workers were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.
29. "When the wheat sprang up and bore grain, the tares sprang up as well.
30. "The workers came to the landowner and said, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How is it that tares have grown in as well?'
31. "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'
32. "The workers asked, 'Shall we dig up the tares?' But he said to them, 'No, for you will injure the wheat as well. Allow both to grow together until harvest time.
33. And in the time of harvest, the tares will be conspicuous, and I will order that first the tares be gathered up in bundles and burned, but the wheat to be gathered up and put into my barn.'"
34. Then Jesus left and went into the house, and His disciples came to Him and asked Him to explain the parable of the tares.
35. And He said to them, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; the tares are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed the tares is Satan. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
36. "So, just as the tares are gathered up and burned, so shall it be for the sons of Satan at the end of the age.
37. "The Son of Man will send out His angels to gather out all stumbling blocks and those who do lawlessness and will throw them into the fire, and in that place will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth.
38. "And then the righteous will shine in the kingdom of their Father. Let the one who has ears hear this word."
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