Matthew 13 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

Jesus Teaches in Parables

(Mar 4:1–9; Luk 8:4–8 )

Mat 13:1On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

Mat 13:2And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.

Mat 13:3

Mat 13:3And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow;

Mat 13:4

Mat 13:4and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them:

Mat 13:5

Mat 13:5and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Mat 13:6

Mat 13:6and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Mat 13:7

Mat 13:7And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:

Mat 13:8

Mat 13:8and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mat 13:9

Mat 13:9He that hath ears, let him hear.

An Explanation

(Mar 4:10–12; Luk 8:9, 10 )

Mat 13:10

Mat 13:10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Mat 13:11

Mat 13:11And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:12

Mat 13:12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Mat 13:13

Mat 13:13Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Mat 13:14

Mat 13:14And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,

By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;

And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:

Mat 13:15

For this people’s heart is waxed gross,

And their ears are dull of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed;

Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart,

And should turn again,

And I should heal them.

Mat 13:16

Mat 13:16But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

Mat 13:17

Mat 13:17For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.

The Sower Explained

(Mar 4:13–20; Luk 8:11–15 )

Mat 13:18

Mat 13:18Hear then ye the parable of the sower.

Mat 13:19

Mat 13:19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side.

Mat 13:20

Mat 13:20And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;

Mat 13:21

Mat 13:21yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.

Mat 13:22

Mat 13:22And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Mat 13:23

Mat 13:23And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Tares among Wheat

Mat 13:24

Mat 13:24Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:

Mat 13:25

Mat 13:25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.

Mat 13:26

Mat 13:26But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Mat 13:27

Mat 13:27And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?

Mat 13:28

Mat 13:28And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

Mat 13:29

Mat 13:29But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.

Mat 13:30

Mat 13:30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

The Mustard Seed

(Mar 4:30–32; Luk 13:18, 19 )

Mat 13:31

Mat 13:31Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Mat 13:32

Mat 13:32which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.

The Leaven

(Luk 13:20, 21 )

Mat 13:33

Mat 13:33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

Mat 13:34

Mat 13:34All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them:

Mat 13:35

Mat 13:35that 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.

The Tares Explained

Mat 13:36

Mat 13:36Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Mat 13:37

Mat 13:37And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

Mat 13:38

Mat 13:38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

Mat 13:39

Mat 13:39and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.

Mat 13:40

Mat 13:40As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.

Mat 13:41

Mat 13:41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity,

Mat 13:42

Mat 13:42and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Mat 13:43

Mat 13:43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.

Hidden Treasure

Mat 13:44

Mat 13:44The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

A Costly Pearl

Mat 13:45

Mat 13:45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:

Mat 13:46

Mat 13:46and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

A Dragnet

Mat 13:47

Mat 13:47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Mat 13:48

Mat 13:48which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.

Mat 13:49

Mat 13:49So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,

Mat 13:50

Mat 13:50and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Mat 13:51

Mat 13:51Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea.

Mat 13:52

Mat 13:52And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

(Mar 6:1–6; Luk 4:16–30 )

Mat 13:53

Mat 13:53And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

Mat 13:54

Mat 13:54And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Mat 13:55

Mat 13:55Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?

Mat 13:56

Mat 13:56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

Mat 13:57

Mat 13:57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.

Mat 13:58

Mat 13:58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.