Parables about the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net cast into the sea.

1 That day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 Such a great crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while all the people remained standing on the shore of the lake. 3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying. 4 "now, the sower went out to sow. And as he was sowing, some seeds fell along the roadside, and the birds of the sky came and ate them." 5 And others fell on rocky ground, where there was not much soil, and they sprang up at once because they had no deep soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered. 7 And others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good soil and bore fruit: one a hundred, another sixty, and another thirty. 9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 And the disciples came up to him and said, “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 For whoever has, to him it will be given and it will be increased, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because though they look, they do not see, and though they listen, they do not hear or understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: “You will keep hearing and will not understand, you will keep looking and will not see. 15 For this people’s heart has grown hard, they have heard with heavy ears, and they have shut their eyes, so that they might not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn back, and I would heal them.” 16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. 18 So now you listen to the parable of the sower. 19 Everyone who hears the word of the kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away the word that was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell beside the road. 20 And the seed that fell on the rocky ground is the person who, when he hears the word, immediately receives it with joy, 21 but since he has no root in himself, but is temporary, then when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly stumbles. 22 As for the seed that fell among the thorns, this is the person who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceptions of wealth choke it, and it remains unfruitful. 23 But the seed that fell on good soil is the person who hears the word and understands it, and bears fruit: one a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, and another thirtyfold.” 24 Jesus told them another parable and said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while the people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 And when the grass grew and bore fruit, then the weeds also appeared. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came up to him and said, “Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how did the weeds appear?” 28 He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “So do you want us to go and pull them up?” 29 But he said, “No, because while gathering the weeds you might 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 the weeds and tie them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”». 31 He told them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes larger than all the plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and rest in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” 34 Jesus said all these things to the people in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them. 35 So that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will reveal things hidden from the foundation of the world” (Ps. 78:2). 36 Then Jesus left the crowd and came into the house. The disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered them and said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 And the field is the world, the good seed are those who are sons of the kingdom. And the weeds are the sons of the evil one. 39 And the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. 40 So then, just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who practice lawlessness. 42 And they will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. 44 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And in his joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for beautiful pearls. 46 and finding one very precious pearl, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers fish of every kind, 48 And when it was filled, they pulled it up onto the shore and sat down, gathered the good into containers, but threw the worthless out. 49 So it will be at the end of the world: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous. 50 And they will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there. 51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 And he said to them, “For this reason every scribe who has become a disciple for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a household, who brings out of his treasury things both new and old”. 53 When Jesus finished these parables, he left that place. 54 And he came to his hometown and was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, “Where did he get this wisdom and this miracle-working power?” 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is his mother not called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 Are not all his sisters with us? Then where did he get all this?” 57 And they were offended because of him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his homeland and in his house.” 58 And there he did not do many miracles, because of their unbelief.