The first New Testament printed in English

by Unknown

Another similitude put he forth, unto them saying: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, there came his foe, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. When the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. The servants came to the householder, and said unto him: Sir sowest not thou good seed in thy close, from whence then hath it tares? He said to them, the envious man hath done this. Then the servants said unto him: wilt thou then that we go and gather it? and he said, nay, lest while ye go about to weed out the tares, ye pluck up also with them the wheat by the roots: let both grow together till harvest come, and in time of harvest, I will say yea unto my reapers, gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to be brent: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Another parable he put forth unto them saying. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man taketh and soweth in his field, which is the least of all seeds. But when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and is a tree: so that the birds of the air come, and build in the branches of it.

Another similitude said he to them. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hideth in iij pecks of meal, till all was leavened.

All these things spake Iesus unto the people by similitudes, and without similitudes spake he nothing to them, to fulfil that which was spoken by the prophet saying: I will open my mouth in similitudes, and will speak forth things which have been kept secret from the beginning of the world.

Then sent Iesus the people away, and came to house, and his disciples came unto him, saying: declare unto us the similitude of the tares of the field: Then answered he and said to them. He that soweth the good seed, is the son of man, the field is the world. The children of the kingdom are the good seed. The evil man's children are the tares. But the enemy which soweth it, is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers be the angels. For even as the tares are gathered, and brent in the fire: so shall it be in the end of this world. The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that do hurt, and all them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the just men shine as bright as the son in the kingdom of their father. whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in the field, the which a man found and hid it: and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant, seeking good pearls, which when he had found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net cast into the sea, that gathereth of all kinds of fishes: the which when it is full, men draw to land, and sit and gather the good into their vessels and cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall come and sever the bad from the good, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Iesus said unto them: have ye understood all these things: they said, yea sir. Then said he unto them: Therefore every scribe which is conning unto the kingdom of heaven, is like an householder, which bringeth forth, out of his treasure, things both new and old.

And it came to pass when Iesus had finished these similitudes that he departed thence, and came in to his own country, and taught them in their synagogues, in so much that they were astonied, and said: whence came all this wisdom and power unto him? is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren be called, Iames and Ioses and Simon and Iudas? and are not his sisters all here with us? Whence hath he all these things. And they were hurt by him. Then Iesus said unto them: there is no prophet without honour, save in his own country, and among his own kin. And he did not many miracles there, for their unbelief's sake.