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^(A) of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.^{(B) 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,^{(C) 39} and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest^(D) is the end of the age,^(E) and the harvesters are angels.^(F)

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^(G) will send out his angels,^(H) 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.^{(I) 43} Then the righteous will shine like the sun^(J) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(K)

²⁹ I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(A) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^(B)

¹⁰ I am confident^(A) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(B) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(C) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

¹¹ Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(A)