24. He set another parable before them, saying,"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

25. but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weedsalso among the wheat, and went away.

26. But when the blade sprang up and produced fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also.

27. The servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?'

28. "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?'

29. "But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

30. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

31. He set another parable before them, saying,"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;

32. which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

33. He spoke another parable to them."The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measuresof meal, until it was all leavened."

34. Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn't speak to them,

35. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,"I will open my mouth in parables;I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."Psalm 78:2

36. Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field."

37. He answered them,"He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38. the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

39. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40. As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

41. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,

42. and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.