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The Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by
the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he
got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on
the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables,
saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was
scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds
came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it
did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the
soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants
were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it
produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you
speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the
kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12
Those who have will be given more, and they will have an
abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have
will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in
parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not
hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You
will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be
ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they
hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their
eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with
their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I
would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and
your ears because they hear. 17 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 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower
means: 19 When people hear the message about the kingdom and
do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along
the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to
people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 21
But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they
quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns
refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this
life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making
it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers
to people who hear the word and understand it. They produce
a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of
heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed
weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat
sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir,
didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?’
28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants
asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling
the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both
grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell
the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in
bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it
into my barn.’ ”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted
in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet
when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and
becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its
branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of
heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about
sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the
dough.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in
parables; he did not say anything to them without using a
parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the
prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things
hidden since the creation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His
disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable
of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is
the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed
stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the
people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is
the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the
harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire,
so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will
send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom
everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will
throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will
shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever
has ears, let them hear.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a
field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his
joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great
value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought
it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net
that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of
fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the
shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in
baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be
at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the
wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus
asked. “Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the
law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is
like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom
new treasures as well as old.”
A Prophet Without Honor
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on
from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the
people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did
this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they
asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his
mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where
then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in their own
towns and in their own homes are prophets without honor.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of
their lack of faith.
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Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
