34. Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.
35. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
36. 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 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 are 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 reapers are angels.
40. As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
41. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.
42. They will throw them into the fiery 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. The one who has ears had better listen!
44. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
47. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.
48. When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away.
49. It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous
50. and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51. “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”