American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Matthew 13
1
The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
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References Jesus
Matthew 13:36
2
And great multitudes were gathered together to him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
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3
And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
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4
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5
Some fell on stony places, where they had not much earth: and immediately they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
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6
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
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8
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred times, some sixty times, some thirty times.
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10
And the disciples came, and said to him, Why speak you to them in parables?
11
He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
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12
For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.
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13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
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14
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which said, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive:
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15
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
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17
For truly I say to you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.
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18
Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.
19
When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Reference
Evil
1 John 5:18
1 John 3:12
Kingdom
Matthew 13:38
Matthew 4:23
Acts 28:23
Acts 20:25
Parallel theme
Hebrews 2:1
Romans 1:28
Acts 17:32
Word
Acts 18:15
20
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
Reference
Parallel theme
John 5:35
Isaiah 58:2
Mark 6:20
2 Chronicles 24:2
Acts 8:13
2 Chronicles 24:14
Word
2 Chronicles 24:6
21
Yet has he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution rises because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 11:6
Hosea 6:4
Job 19:28
Proverbs 12:3
Ephesians 3:17
Proverbs 12:12
Romans 2:7
Matthew 24:13
Word
Psalm 36:3
Mark 4:17
22
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
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23
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundred times, some sixty, some thirty.
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24
Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Reference
Good
Matthew 13:37
Kingdom
Matthew 25:1
Matthew 13:47
Matthew 20:1
Matthew 22:2
Matthew 13:33
Luke 13:18
Luke 13:20
Matthew 13:31
Parallel theme
1 Peter 1:23
26
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27
So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? from where then has it tares?
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28
He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Will you then that we go and gather them up?
29
But he said, No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them.
30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
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31
Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
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32
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
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33
Another parable spoke he to them; The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
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34
All these things spoke Jesus to the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke he not to them:
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35
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
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Parallel theme
Psalm 78:2
Ephesians 3:9
1 Corinthians 2:7
John 17:24
Matthew 25:34
Isaiah 42:9
Revelation 13:8
Prophecy
Amos 3:7
Ephesians 3:5
Matthew 13:14
36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came to him, saying, Declare to us the parable of the tares of the field.
37
He answered and said to them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man;
Reference
Good
Matthew 13:27
Matthew 13:24
Parallel theme
Acts 1:8
Matthew 13:41
Luke 10:16
Romans 15:18
Matthew 10:40
Matthew 8:20
John 13:20
John 20:21
38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
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39
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
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40
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
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Parallel theme
Matthew 13:39
41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
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42
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Reference
Kingdom
Luke 12:32
Matthew 25:34
Matthew 26:29
Luke 22:29
James 2:5
Parallel theme
Matthew 11:15
1 Corinthians 15:58
Matthew 25:36
Righteousness
Daniel 12:3
44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
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46
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
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47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Reference
Kingdom
Acts 20:30
Parallel theme
John 15:6
Revelation 3:1
Mark 1:17
Matthew 4:19
John 15:2
2 Corinthians 11:26
Luke 5:10
Galatians 2:4
48
Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
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49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
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50
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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52
Then said he to them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.
Reference
Kingdom
Ezra 7:21
Parallel theme
Titus 1:9
Proverbs 15:7
Matthew 12:35
Ezra 7:10
Proverbs 18:4
Matthew 23:34
Luke 11:49
Colossians 1:7
Colossians 3:16
53
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed there.
54
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, From where has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
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55
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
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People
56
And his sisters, are they not all with us? From where then has this man all these things?
57
And they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 11:6
Isaiah 53:3
Isaiah 49:7
Isaiah 8:14
Luke 7:23
Prophecy
John 4:44
Luke 4:24
References Jesus
John 6:61
John 6:42
58
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 11:20
Summary of Matthew 13
Matthew 13 is one of the most important teaching chapters in Matthew because it gathers together a series of kingdom parables through which Jesus explains how God's kingdom begins, grows, encounters opposition, produces different responses, and ultimately reaches a point of final judgment.
The chapter opens with the parable of the sower, in which the same seed falls on four different types of ground, showing that the effectiveness of God's message is not determined by the message itself but by the condition of the hearts that receive it.
The four soils represent different responses: some people never truly understand, others respond enthusiastically but collapse under pressure, others allow worries and wealth to choke spiritual growth, while those with receptive hearts produce lasting fruit.
Jesus then explains why He uses parables, connecting the mixed responses of His listeners with Isaiah's ancient description of people who hear without understanding and see without perceiving, demonstrating that spiritual blindness can remain even when people are physically exposed to God's truth.
The parable of the weeds addresses the difficult question of why evil continues to exist alongside God's kingdom, explaining that good and evil will coexist for a period of time but that God will ultimately separate them at the end of the age.
Jesus then uses the mustard seed and yeast to show that God's kingdom may begin in apparently small and unimpressive ways while eventually producing an influence far greater than its beginnings would suggest.
The chapter continues with the hidden treasure and priceless pearl, both of which emphasize the extraordinary value of God's kingdom, showing that once a person truly recognizes its worth, surrendering lesser possessions and priorities becomes a joyful response rather than merely a painful sacrifice.
The fishing-net parable returns to the theme of final separation, illustrating that God's kingdom reaches broadly into the world but that a final judgment will distinguish between those who belong to God and those who persist in rejecting Him.
Jesus' teaching therefore contains both comfort and warning: God's kingdom is growing even when its progress seems hidden, but participation in that kingdom requires genuine spiritual response and cannot be reduced to superficial enthusiasm or religious familiarity.
The chapter ends by returning Jesus to His hometown, where people are amazed by His wisdom but struggle to accept Him because they know His family and ordinary background, revealing the danger of allowing familiarity and preconceived expectations to prevent genuine faith.
The central message is that Matthew 13 explains the mysterious growth and mixed reception of God's kingdom, showing that the kingdom may begin quietly, encounter opposition, coexist temporarily with evil, and appear insignificant, yet it possesses immeasurable value and will ultimately be revealed in full through God's final judgment and restoration.
The chapter ultimately calls readers to examine the condition of their own hearts, recognize the supreme value of God's kingdom, remain faithful when difficulties arise, resist the distractions of worldly anxiety and wealth, and trust that God's purposes are advancing even when His work appears hidden or opposed.
The chapter opens with the parable of the sower, in which the same seed falls on four different types of ground, showing that the effectiveness of God's message is not determined by the message itself but by the condition of the hearts that receive it.
The four soils represent different responses: some people never truly understand, others respond enthusiastically but collapse under pressure, others allow worries and wealth to choke spiritual growth, while those with receptive hearts produce lasting fruit.
Jesus then explains why He uses parables, connecting the mixed responses of His listeners with Isaiah's ancient description of people who hear without understanding and see without perceiving, demonstrating that spiritual blindness can remain even when people are physically exposed to God's truth.
The parable of the weeds addresses the difficult question of why evil continues to exist alongside God's kingdom, explaining that good and evil will coexist for a period of time but that God will ultimately separate them at the end of the age.
Jesus then uses the mustard seed and yeast to show that God's kingdom may begin in apparently small and unimpressive ways while eventually producing an influence far greater than its beginnings would suggest.
The chapter continues with the hidden treasure and priceless pearl, both of which emphasize the extraordinary value of God's kingdom, showing that once a person truly recognizes its worth, surrendering lesser possessions and priorities becomes a joyful response rather than merely a painful sacrifice.
The fishing-net parable returns to the theme of final separation, illustrating that God's kingdom reaches broadly into the world but that a final judgment will distinguish between those who belong to God and those who persist in rejecting Him.
Jesus' teaching therefore contains both comfort and warning: God's kingdom is growing even when its progress seems hidden, but participation in that kingdom requires genuine spiritual response and cannot be reduced to superficial enthusiasm or religious familiarity.
The chapter ends by returning Jesus to His hometown, where people are amazed by His wisdom but struggle to accept Him because they know His family and ordinary background, revealing the danger of allowing familiarity and preconceived expectations to prevent genuine faith.
The central message is that Matthew 13 explains the mysterious growth and mixed reception of God's kingdom, showing that the kingdom may begin quietly, encounter opposition, coexist temporarily with evil, and appear insignificant, yet it possesses immeasurable value and will ultimately be revealed in full through God's final judgment and restoration.
The chapter ultimately calls readers to examine the condition of their own hearts, recognize the supreme value of God's kingdom, remain faithful when difficulties arise, resist the distractions of worldly anxiety and wealth, and trust that God's purposes are advancing even when His work appears hidden or opposed.