New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.
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In that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat beside the sea.
2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.
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And much people was gathered to him, so that he went up into a boat, and sat; and all the people stood on the brink. [And many companies were gathered to him, so that he ascending into a boat sat; and all the company stood in the brink.]
3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.
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And he spake to them many things in parables, and said [saying], Lo! he that soweth, went out to sow his seed.
4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
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And while he soweth, some seeds felled [fell] beside the way, and birds of the air came, and ate them.
5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
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But other seeds [Soothly other] felled into stony places, where they had not much earth; and at once [and anon] they sprung up, for they had not deepness of earth.
6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.
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But when the sun was risen, they parched [they sweltered, or burned for heat], and for they had not root, they dried up.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.
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And other seeds [Forsooth other] felled among thorns; and the thorns waxed up, and strangled them.
8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!
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But other seeds [But other] felled into good land, and gave fruit; some an hundredfold, another sixtyfold, [and] another thirtyfold.
9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
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He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
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And the disciples came nigh, and said to him, Why speakest thou in parables to them?
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
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And he answered, and said to them, For to you it is given to know the privates of the kingdom of heavens; but it is not given to them. [+Which answering said unto them, For to you it is given to know the mysteries, or privates, of the kingdom of heavens; but it is not given to them.]
12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
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For it shall be given to him that hath, and he shall have plenty; but if a man hath not [truly who that hath not], also that thing that he hath shall be taken away from him.
13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
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Therefore I speak to them in parables, for they seeing see not, and they hearing hear not, neither understand;
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.
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that the prophecy of Esaias? saying be fulfilled in them [that the prophecy of Easias be filled in them, that saith], With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand; and ye seeing shall see, and ye shall not see;
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
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for the heart of this people is greatly fatted [+for the heart of this people is enfatted/is greatly made fat], and they heard heavily with ears, and they have closed their eyes, lest sometime they see with eyes, and with ears hear, and understand in heart, and they be converted, and I heal them.
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
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But your eyes that see be blessed, and your ears that hear.
17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
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Forsooth I say [truly] to you, that many prophets and just men coveted to see those things that ye see, and they saw not, and to hear those things that ye hear, and they heard not.
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:
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Therefore hear ye the parable of the sower.
19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.
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Each that heareth the word of the realm, and understandeth not, the evil spirit cometh, and snatcheth (up) that that is sown in his heart; this it is [this is he], that is sown beside the way.
20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.
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But this that is sown on the stony land, this it is [Forsooth he that is sown in stony land, is this], that heareth the word of God, and anon with joy taketh it.
21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.
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And he hath not root in himself, but is temporal. For when tribulation and persecution is made for the word, at once he is caused to stumble [anon he is offended].
22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.
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But he that is sown in thorns, is this that heareth the word, and the busyness of this world, and the fallacy of riches strangleth the word [and the falseness of riches strangle the word], and it is made without fruit.
23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
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But he that is sown into good land, is this that heareth the word, and understandeth, and bringeth forth fruit. And some maketh an hundredfold, truly another sixtyfold and another thirtyfold.
24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
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Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said [saying], The kingdom of heavens is made like to a man, that sowed good seed in his field.
25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.
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And when men slept, his enemy came, and sowed above tares in the middle of [the] wheat, and went away. [+But, when men slept, his enemy came, and sowed above tares, or cockles, in the midst of the wheat, and went away.]
26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
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But when the herb was grown [Soothly when the herb had grown], and made fruit, then the tares appeared.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
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And the servants of the husbandman came, and said to him, Lord, whether hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whereof then hath it tares?
28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
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And he said to them, An enemy hath done this thing. And the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go, and gather them?
29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.
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And he said, Nay, lest peradventure ye in gathering [the] tares draw up with them [also] the wheat by the root. [+And he said, Nay, lest peradventure ye gathering tares, or cockles, draw up by the root with them also the wheat.]
30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
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Suffer ye them both to wax into reaping time; and in the time of ripe corn I shall say to the reapers, First gather ye together the tares, and bind them together in knitches to be burnt, but gather ye the wheat into my barn. [+Suffer ye them both wax till to the ripe corn; and in the time of the ripe corn I shall say to the reapers, First gather ye together tares/the darnels, or cockles, and bind them together in knitches, or small bundles, to be burnt, but gather ye the wheat into my barn.]
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
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Another parable Jesus put forth to them, and said [saying], The kingdom of heavens is like to a corn of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
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Which [truly] is the least of all seeds, but when it hath waxen, it is the most of all worts, and is made a tree; so that birds of the air come, and dwell in the boughs thereof [+so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the bows, or branches, thereof].
33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
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Another parable Jesus spake to them [He spake another parable to them], The kingdom of heavens is like to sourdough, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it were all soured.
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
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Jesus spake all these things in parables to the people [Jesus spake all these things in parables to the companies], and he spake not to them without parables,
35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world. ”
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that it should be fulfilled, that is said by the prophet, saying, I shall open my mouth in parables; I shall tell out hid things from the making of the world. [+that it should be fulfilled, which is said by the prophet, saying, I shall open my mouth in parables; I shall tell out things hid from the making of the world.]
36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
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Then he let go the people, and came into an house; and his disciples came to him, and said [Then the companies left, he came into an house; and his disciples came nigh to him, saying], Expound to us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.
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Which answered, and said, He that soweth good seed is man's Son;
38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.
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the field is the world; but the good seed, be sons of the kingdom, but tares, these be evil children; [+soothly the field is the world; but the good seed, these be the sons of the realm, tares, or cockles, these be sons of the wicked;]
39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
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the enemy that soweth them is the fiend [but the enemy that soweth them is the devil]; and the ripe corn is the ending of the world, [forsooth] the reapers be angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.
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Therefore as tares be gathered together, and be burnt in fire [and burnt in the fire], so it shall be in the ending of the world.
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
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Man's Son shall send his angels, and they shall gather from his realm all causes of stumbling [and they shall gather of his realm all offences], and them that do wickedness;
42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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and they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping and beating together of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
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Then just men shall shine as the sun, in the realm of their Father. He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
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The kingdom of heavens is like to treasure hid in a field, which a man that findeth, hideth; and for joy of it he goeth [and for joy thereof he goeth], and selleth all things that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
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Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a merchant, that seeketh good margarites; [Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a man merchant, seeking good pearls;]
46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
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but when he hath found one precious margarite [soothly one precious pearl found], he went, and sold all things that he had, and bought it.
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.
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Again the kingdom of heavens is like to a net cast into the sea, and that gathereth together of all kinds of fishes [of all kind of fishes];
48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.
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which when it was full, they drew it up, and sat by the brink, and chose the good into their vessels, but the evil they cast out [but they cast out the evil].
49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,
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So it shall be in the end of the world. Angels shall go out, and shall separate evil men from the middle of just men. [So it shall be in the ending of the world. Angels shall go out, and shall part evil men from the midst of just men.]
50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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And they shall send them into the chimney of fire; there shall be weeping and grinding of teeth [there shall be weeping and beating together of teeth].
51 Do you understand all these things?” “Yes,” they said, “we do.”
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Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea.
52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
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He saith to them, Therefore every wise man of [the] law in the kingdom of heavens [Therefore every writer taught in the kingdom of heavens], is like to an husbandman, that bringeth forth of his treasure new things and old.
53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.
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And it was done, when Jesus had ended these parables, he passed from thence.
54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?”
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And he came into his country, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered, and said, From whence this wisdom and works of power came to this [Whereof to him this wisdom and virtues]?
55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
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Whether this is not the son of a carpenter [Whether is not this the son of a carpenter]? Whether his mother be not said Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?”
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and his sisters, whether they all be not among us? From whence then all these things come to this [Therefore whereof to him all these things]?
57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”
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And so they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour [A prophet is not without worship], but in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
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And he did not there many works of power [And he did not there many virtues], for the unbelief of them.