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1 That same day Jesus went out of the house, and sat beside the sea. 2 And large crowds were gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat, and sat; and the entire crowd stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. 8 But others fell into good ground and bore fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because, it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 Because whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because, seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘By hearing you will hear, and will not understand, and seeing you will see, and will not perceive; 15 because the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts and would be converted, so that I should heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear; 17 because truly, I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and did not see it, and hear those things which you hear, and did not hear it. 18 “Therefore all of you, hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one which received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. Because when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the worries of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who also bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” 24 He put before them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 So when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” 31 He put before them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the 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 nest in its branches.” 33 He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid inside three measures of flour until it was all leavened.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables; and He did not speak to them without a parable, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world.” 36 Then Jesus sent the crowd away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He replied and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that cause offense, and those who practice iniquity, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as 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 treasure hidden in a field, which when a man finds, he hides; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant man seeking choice pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, 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 of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” 53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And when He had come to 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? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 So He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.