Matthew 13
1 On that day Yeshua went out of the house, and sat by the lake.
That same day Jesus, [along with us] disciples, left the house [where he was teaching and went] to [Galilee lake]. He sat down there,
2 And large crowds gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the crowd stood on the beach.
and a very large crowd gathered around him to [listen to his teaching]. So, [in order that they would not jostle him] (OR, [to speak to the people better]), he got into a boat and sat down [to teach them]. The crowd stood on the shore [and was listening].
3 And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Look, a farmer went out to sow.
He was telling them many parables. [One of the parables] that he told them was this: “Listen! A man went out [to his field] to sow [some seeds].
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.
As he was scattering [them over the soil], some [of the] seeds fell on the path. Then some birds came and ate those seeds.
5 And others fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.
Other [seeds] fell on ground where there was not much soil [on top of the] rock. Those seeds sprouted very soon, [because the sun quickly warmed] the shallow soil.
6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.
But when [the young plants came up], they were scorched by the sun, and they withered because they did not have [deep] roots.
7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Other seeds fell on [ground that contained roots of] thorny [weeds]. The thorny weeds grew [together with the young plants], and [they] crowded out [the plants].
8 Still others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
[But] other seeds fell on good soil, and [the plants grew and] produced [a lot of] grain. Some [plants produced] 100 times [as many seeds as were planted]. Some [plants produced] 60 times [as much]. Some [plants produced] 30 times [as much].
9 He who has ears, let him hear."
If you want to understand this [MTY], you should consider [carefully what I have just said].”
10 Then the talmidim came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
[We] disciples approached Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowd?”
11 And answering, he said to them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it is not given to them.
He answered [us] saying, “God [EUP/MTY] is revealing to you what he did not reveal before, about [how he wants to] rule [over people’s lives]. But he has not revealed it to others.
12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.
Those who [think about what I say and] understand [it], God will enable them to understand more. But those who do not [think carefully about what I say] will forget even what they already know.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear, neither do they understand.
That is why I use parables when I speak to people, because although they see [what I do], they do not perceive [what it means], and although they hear [what I say], they do not really understand [what it means].
14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'In hearing you will hear, but will not understand, and seeing you will see, but not perceive.
What these people do completely fulfills what [God told] the prophet Isaiah [to say long ago to the people who did not] try to understand what he said, You will hear [what I say], but you will not understand it. You will keep seeing [what I do], but you will not understand [what it means] [DOU].
15 For the heart of this people has grown dull, and their ears are sluggish in hearing, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn back, and I would heal them.'
[God also said to Isaiah], These people have become unresponsive [MTY] [to what they see me do and to what they hear me say]. They listen unwillingly [MTY] [to what I say], and they do not pay attention to [MTY] [what I do]. If it were not so, they would perceive [MTY] [what I am doing], they would understand [MTY] [what I say to them], and they would turn [away from their sinful lives] and turn [to me], and I would save them [from being punished for their sins] [MET].
16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
But as for you, God is pleased with you because you [SYN] have seen [what I have done] and because you [SYN] understand [what I say] [DOU].
17 For truly I tell you that many prophets and righteous people desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.
Note this: Many prophets and righteous people [who lived long ago] longed to see what you are seeing [me do], but they did not see it. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing [me say], but they did not hear [what you hear me say].” [DOU]
18 "Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.
“[Since God wants] you [to understand what I am teaching you], listen as I [explain] the parable about the man who sowed [seeds in various kinds of soil].
19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and does not 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.
The people who hear about how God rules over people’s lives and do not understand [what they have heard] are [like] the path where [some of] the seeds fell. [Satan], the Evil One, comes and causes these people to forget [MET] what they have heard [MET].
20 And what was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
[Some people are like the] shallow soil on top of rock. When they hear God’s message, they immediately accept it joyfully.
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
[But because it does not penetrate deeply into their inner beings, they believe it for only] a [short] time. [They are like the plants that] did not have [deep] roots. When they are treated badly and caused to suffer because they believe [God’s message], they soon stop believing [it].
22 And what was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
[Some people are like the soil that had the roots of] thorny [weeds] in it. They hear God’s message, but they desire to be rich, [so they] worry [only] about [MTY, PRS] material things. As a result, they [PRS] forget [God’s] message, and they do not do [IDM] the things that God wants them to do. (aiōn g165)
23 And what was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who truly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."
But [some people are like the] good soil where [some of the seeds] fell. [Just like the plants that grew in this soil] produced a lot of grain, [these people] hear my message and understand it. [Some of them] do many things [IDM] [that please God, some do] even more [things that please God, and some do] very many [things that please God].”
24 He set another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field,
Jesus also told the crowd another parable, [by which he tried to explain that although] God [MTY/EUP] is a king, [he will not immediately judge and punish all the wicked people]. Jesus said, “[God] is like a landowner [who sent his servants] to sow good [wheat] seed in his field.
25 but while everyone slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.
While those servants were sleeping [and not watching the field], an enemy of the landowner came and scattered weed [seeds] in the midst of the wheat. Then he left.
26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the tares appeared also.
After [the seeds] sprouted and the green plants [grew], the heads of grain began to form. But the weeds also grew.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did these tares come from?'
So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, you [RHQ] [gave us good seeds and those are the ones we] [RHQ] [planted] in your field. So where did the weeds come from?’
28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' "And the servants asked him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them up?'
The landowner said to them, ‘[My] enemy did this.’ His servants said to him, ‘So, do you want us to pull up [the weeds and] put them in a pile?’
29 "But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the tares, you root up the wheat with them.
He said [to them], ‘No, [do not do that, because] you might pull up [some of] the wheat at the same time.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest [time].’ At that time I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather the weeds, tie them into bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat [and put it] into my barns.’”
31 He set another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;
Jesus also told this parable: “The [number of] (OR, [God’s influence in the lives of]) [people whose] lives God rules over [will continue to grow. It is very much] like mustard seeds grow after a man plants them in his field.
32 which indeed is least of all the seeds. But when it has grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."
Although mustard seeds are among the smallest of all the seeds [that people plant, here in Israel they become large plants. When the plants have fully grown, they are larger than the other garden plants. They become shrubs that are large enough for birds to build nests in their branches.”]
33 He 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."
Jesus also told this parable: “[The way people who let] God [MTY/EUP] rule their lives [MET] [can influence the world] is like yeast that a woman mixed with about 50 pounds of flour. [That small amount of yeast made] the whole batch of dough swell up.”
34 Yeshua spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; and without a parable, he did not speak to them,
Jesus told the crowd parables [to teach them] all these things. When he spoke [HYP] to them, he habitually used such illustrations.
35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the beginning of the world."
By doing that, [he] fulfilled what [God told one of] the prophets to write [long ago]: I will speak [MTY] in parables; I will tell [parables to teach] what I have kept secret since I created the world.
36 Then Yeshua sent the crowds away, and went into the house. His talmidim came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field."
After Jesus dismissed the crowds, he went inside. Then [we] disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable about the weeds [that grew] in the [wheat] field.”
37 And he answered them, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
He answered, “The one who sows the good seed represents [me], the one who came from heaven.
38 and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the tares are the children of the evil one,
The field represents this world [MTY], [where people live]. The seeds [that grew] well represent the people who let God rule their lives [MET]. The weeds represent the people who do what [the devil], the Evil One, [tells them to do].
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. (aiōn g165)
The enemy who sowed the weed seeds represents the devil. The [time when the reapers will] harvest [the grain] represents the time when the world will end. The reapers represent the angels. (aiōn g165)
40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of the age. (aiōn g165)
The weeds are gathered and burned. {The reapers gather the weeds. Then they burn them.} That represents [the judging of people, which God will do] when the world will end. [It will be like this]: (aiōn g165)
41 The 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,
I, the one who came from heaven, will send my angels, and they will gather [from everywhere the people] who cause others to quit believing in me [MET] and all those who disobey [God’s] commands.
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the grinding of teeth.
They will throw those people into the fires of [hell]. There those people will weep and grind their teeth [because of the great pain that they are suffering]. (questioned)
43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
[God’s] brightness will shine [on] the people who have lived as he wants them to. It will shine [on them as brightly] as the sun [shines]. It will shine on them in the place where [God], their Father, rules over them. If you want to understand this [MTY], you should think [carefully] about what I have just said.”
44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a 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.
“[What people do who begin to allow] God [MTY/EUP] to rule their lives is like [what a certain man did to acquire a treasure]. A treasure was hidden in a field by someone {Someone hid a treasure in a field [and never dug it up again]}. When [another] man found it, he hid it [by burying it again in order that no one else would find it]. Being very happy [that he had found something very valuable, he went and] sold all his possessions [to obtain money to buy the field the treasure was in]. He then went and bought the field, [and so he was able to acquire that treasure].
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,
Also, what [people do who begin to allow] God [MTY/EUP] to rule their lives is like [what] a merchant [did who was] looking for good quality pearls [to buy].
46 and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
When he found one very costly pearl [that was for sale], he sold all his possessions [to acquire enough money to buy that pearl]. Then he [went and] bought it.
47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the lake, and gathered some fish of every kind,
What God [MTY/EUP] [will do to people who falsely say that they are letting him] rule their lives is like what certain [fishermen] did [with the fish they caught] in a lake, using a large net. They caught all classes [of fish, both useful and worthless fish].
48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.
When the net was full, the [fishermen] pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat there and put the useful [fish] into buckets, and threw the worthless ones away.
49 So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, (aiōn g165)
[What they did in separating the good fish from the bad ones] is like [what will happen to people] when the world ends. The angels will come [to where God is judging people], and will separate the wicked [people] from the righteous [ones]. (aiōn g165)
50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the grinding of teeth."
They will throw the wicked people into the fire [in hell]. And those wicked people will weep and gnash their teeth [because of the intense pain they are suffering].” (questioned)
51 "Have you understood all these things?" They answered him, "Yes."
[Then Jesus asked us], “Do you understand all these [parables I have told you]?” We said to him,
52 And he said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a talmid in the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."
“Yes, [we understand them].” Then he said to us, “Because [you understand all these parables], [you will understand the following parable: You, along with] all others, will teach people what [you heard me say] about God ruling people’s lives. [You will add that to what you formerly learned. You will be] like a manager of a household who takes both new things and old things out of his storage room.”
53 And it happened that when Yeshua had finished these parables, he departed from there.
When Jesus had finished [telling] these parables, he took [us] and left that [area].
54 And coming 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?
We went to [Nazareth, his hometown. (On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day]) he began to teach the people in the Jewish worship house. The result was that the people there were astonished. But [some] said, “[This man is just an ordinary person like us. So] how is it that he knows so much and understands so much [RHQ]? And how is it that he is able to do [such] miracles [RHQ]?
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Miriam, and his brothers, Jacob and Joseph and Shim'on and Judah?
(He is [just] the son of the carpenter!/Isn’t he [just] the son of the carpenter [that lived here]?) [RHQ] His mother is Mary, and his younger brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas [RHQ]!
56 And are not all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?"
(And his sisters [also live] here in our [town]./Do not his sisters [live] in our [town]?) [RHQ] So how is he able to do all these [miracles]?”
57 And they were offended by him. But Yeshua said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house."
The people were unable to accept [that] he [was the Messiah. So] Jesus said to them, “[People] honor [me and other] prophets [everywhere else we go], but in [our] hometowns [we are] not [honored], and [even] our own families do not [honor us!]”
58 And he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Jesus did not perform many miracles there because the people did not believe [that he was the Messiah].
