Matthew 13:18–30

The Parable of the Sower Interpreted

¹⁸“You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When^* anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,^* the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. ²⁰And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,^h and when^* affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²²And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this worldⁱ and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. ²³But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,^* who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat

²⁴He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while his^j people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel^k in the midst of the wheat and went away. ²⁶So when the wheat^l sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. ²⁷So the slaves of the master of the house came and^* said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ ²⁸And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and^* gather them?’ ²⁹But he said, “No, lest when you^* gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, “First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse.” ’ ”