13 Later that day Jesus left the house and sat down by the lake. 2 So many people came to him that he got into a boat and sat down to teach, while all the crowds stood on the beach. 3 He taught them many things using parables:[130] “The sower went out sowing seed. 4 As he was sowing, some of the seeds fell on the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on stony ground where there was not much dirt. There they sprouted at once. 6 But then the sun came up and scorched them because they had no roots, and they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Still other seeds fell on good soil, and produced a harvest — some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 Anyone who has ears to hear, listen!”
    10 The disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you speak to them using parables?” 11 He replied, “You are privileged to know the revealed mysteries[131] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but they are not given such insights. 12 For whoever already has understanding, to them more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But whoever does not have understanding, whatever they have will be taken away from them.  13 That is why I speak to them in parables. Seeing, they do not actually see; and hearing, they do not really hear, nor do they understand. 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: ‘Even though you hear, you will not understand, and even though you see, you will not comprehend. 15 These people have a stubborn attitude. They do not want to listen, and they have closed their eyes.[132] Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand in their minds, and return and repent, and I would heal them.’ 16 Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.  17 I am telling you the truth: many prophets and good people longed to see what you are seeing, but did not see it, and longed to hear what you are hearing, but did not hear it.
    18 “So listen to the parable of the sower.[133] 19 When someone hears the Gospel-word about the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in his mind. This is what happens to the seeds sown on the road. 20 The seeds sown on stony ground are people who hear the Gospel-word and immediately accept it with joy. 21 They last for a while, but because they do not have roots, when problems and trouble come because of the Gospel-word, they immediately fall away. 22 The seeds sown among thorns are people who hear the Gospel-word, but then the worries of this age and the temptation of wealth choke the Gospel-word and it bears no fruit. 23 The seeds sown on good soil are people who hear the Gospel-word and understand it, and who produce a good harvest — some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty.”
    24 Jesus presented another parable to them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his workers were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed false wheat[134] on top of the wheat, and left. 26 So when the wheat grew and produced grain, the false wheat also appeared.  27 The farmer’s workers came to him and asked, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? So where has the false wheat come from?’ 28 ‘This is the work of an enemy,’ he replied. ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up then?’ they asked him. 29 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘in case while you are pulling up the false wheat, you uproot the wheat too. 30 Let them grow together until harvest, and at harvest-time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the false wheat and tie them up in bundles to burn them up. Then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
    31 He presented another parable to them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man sowed in his field. 32 Even though it is the smallest of all the seeds, when it is grown it is bigger than other plants. It grows into a tree and birds come and nest in its branches.”[135]
    33 He told them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour, until all the dough was raised.”
    34 Jesus taught the crowds all these things using parables, and did not speak to them without using parables. 35 This was to fulfill the prophet’s words: “I will speak using parables, and I will reveal things hidden from the foundation of the world.”
    36 Then he left the crowds and went inside a house. His disciples came to him and asked, “Please explain to us the parable about the false wheat in the field.” 37 Jesus explained, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. [136] 38 The field represents the world. The good seed represents the children of the Kingdom.[137] The false wheat represents the children of the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sowed the false wheat is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age,[138] and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the false wheat is gathered up and burned up, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom every sinful thing and everyone who does evil, 42 and will throw them into the burning furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.[139]  43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun[140] in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, listen!
    44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, reburied it, and happily went and sold everything he owned and bought that field.
    45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a trader looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found the most expensive pearl of all, he went and sold everything he owned and bought it.
    47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net thrown into the sea, which caught all kinds of fish. 48 When the net was full the fishermen dragged it up on the beach, and they sat down and put the good fish in baskets, but the bad they threw away. 49 That is how it will be at the end of the age.[141] The angels will go out and separate the evil people from among the good, 50 and will throw them into the burning furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
    51 “Have you understood everything?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52 And Jesus said to them, “So then every religious teacher who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings out from his storehouse both the new and the old.”
    53 When Jesus had finished giving these parables,[142] he departed from there. 54 He returned to his hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue. People were astonished and asked, “Where does this man get his wisdom and miraculous powers from? 55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother Mary, and his brothers[143] James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 Are not his sisters living here among us? So where does this man get all this from?” 57 And they took offense at him. “A prophet has respect, but not in his hometown nor in his family,” Jesus said to them. 58 And because of their unbelief he did not do many miracles there.