Matthew 13–15

1On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.

2Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.

3He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

4As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

5Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

6When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

7Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

8Others fell on good soil and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

9He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

11He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

12For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.

14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive;

15for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’

16“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

17For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

18“Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

19When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

20What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it;

21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

22What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

24He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

25but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.

26But when the blade sprang up and produced grain, then the darnel weeds appeared also.

27The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’

28“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’

29“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

30Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

31He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field,

32which indeed is smaller than all 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 lodge in its branches.”

33He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”

34Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,

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.”

36Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.”

37He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38the field is the world, the good seeds are the children of the Kingdom, and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

39The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and those who do iniquity,

42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like 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 the field, which a man found and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46who having found one pearl of great price, he 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 fish of every kind,

48which, when it was filled, fishermen drew up on the beach. They sat down and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

49So it will be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

50and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”

52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

53When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there.

54Coming into 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?

55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?”

57They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.”

58He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

1At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,

2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”

3For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.

4For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

5When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.

7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.

8She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”

9The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,

10and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

11His head was brought on a platter and given to the young lady; and she brought it to her mother.

12His disciples came, took the body, and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

14Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”

16But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”

18He said, “Bring them here to me.”

19He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

20They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.

21Those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.

24But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

26When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.

27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”

28Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

29He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.

30But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

33Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”

34When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

35When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region and brought to him all who were sick;

36and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.

1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

2“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”

6he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”

10He summoned the multitude, and said to them, “Hear, and understand.

11That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.

14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15Peter answered him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16So Jesus said, “Do you also still not understand?

17Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body?

18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”

21Jesus went out from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”

23But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”

24But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

26But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

27But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29Jesus departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there.

30Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

31so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.

32Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”

33The disciples said to him, “Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”

34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

36and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

37They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

38Those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children.

39Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.