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As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
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yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
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As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
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As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
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Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;
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but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
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So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
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And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'
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He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'
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But he said, 'No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
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Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
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Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;
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it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
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He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."
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All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable.
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This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."
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Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."
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He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man;
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the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one,
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and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
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Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.