24 He put another parable to them, saying: "The kingdom of the heavens is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while the people were sleeping his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. 26 But when the stalk sprouted and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared.* 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy did it.’ The servants said to him, ‘So do you want us to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said: ‘No, lest gathering up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ’ "