Matthew 13 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jesus Teaches in Parables

(Mar 4:1–9; Luk 8:4–8 )

Mat 13:1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.

Mat 13:2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach.

Mat 13:3

Mat 13:3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.

Mat 13:4

Mat 13:4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Mat 13:5

Mat 13:5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,

Mat 13:6

Mat 13:6but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.

Mat 13:7

Mat 13:7Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Mat 13:8

Mat 13:8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mat 13:9

Mat 13:9He who has ears, let him hear."

An Explanation

(Mar 4:10–12; Luk 8:9, 10 )

Mat 13:10

Mat 13:10Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

Mat 13:11

Mat 13:11And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Mat 13:12

Mat 13:12For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Mat 13:13

Mat 13:13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Mat 13:14

Mat 13:14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.

Mat 13:15

Mat 13:15For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to 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 13:17Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

(Mar 4:13–20; Luk 8:11–15 )

Mat 13:18

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

Mat 13:19

Mat 13:19When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.

Mat 13:20

Mat 13:20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Mat 13:21

Mat 13:21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

Mat 13:22

Mat 13:22As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Mat 13:23

Mat 13:23As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Tares among Wheat

Mat 13:24

Mat 13:24Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;

Mat 13:25

Mat 13:25but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.

Mat 13:26

Mat 13:26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.

Mat 13:27

Mat 13:27And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'

Mat 13:28

Mat 13:28He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'

Mat 13:29

Mat 13:29But he said, 'No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

Mat 13:30

Mat 13:30Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, 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 he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;

Mat 13:32

Mat 13:32it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

The Leaven

(Luk 13:20, 21 )

Mat 13:33

Mat 13:33He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

Mat 13:34

Mat 13:34All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable.

Mat 13:35

Mat 13:35This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

The Tares Explained

Mat 13:36

Mat 13:36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."

Mat 13:37

Mat 13:37He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man;

Mat 13:38

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

Mat 13:39

Mat 13:39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Mat 13:40

Mat 13:40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.

Mat 13:41

Mat 13:41The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,

Mat 13:42

Mat 13:42and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

Mat 13:43

Mat 13:43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Hidden Treasure

Mat 13:44

Mat 13:44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

A Costly Pearl

Mat 13:45

Mat 13:45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,

Mat 13:46

Mat 13:46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

Mat 13:47

Mat 13:47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;

Mat 13:48

Mat 13:48when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.

Mat 13:49

Mat 13:49So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous,

Mat 13:50

Mat 13:50and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

Mat 13:51

Mat 13:51"Have you understood all this?" They said to him, "Yes."

Mat 13:52

Mat 13:52And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

(Mar 6:1–6; Luk 4:16–30 )

Mat 13:53

Mat 13:53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,

Mat 13:54

Mat 13:54and coming 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?

Mat 13:55

Mat 13:55Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

Mat 13:56

Mat 13:56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?"

Mat 13:57

Mat 13:57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."

Mat 13:58

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

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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

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