Tares among Wheat

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “aThe kingdom of heaven 1may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed 1tares among the wheat, and went away.

26 “But when the 1wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

27 “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? 1How then does it have tares?’

28 “And he said to them, ‘An 1enemy has done this!’ The slaves * said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’

29 “But he * said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but agather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The Mustard Seed

31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “aThe kingdom of heaven is like ba mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that athe birds of the 1air come and nest in its branches.”

The Leaven

33 He spoke another parable to them, “aThe kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in bthree 1pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them awithout a parable.

35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“aI will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”