1 A nd he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

Again Jesus began to teach beside the lake. And a very great crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a ship in order to sit in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the lakeside on the shore.

2 A nd he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

And He taught them many things in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), and in His teaching He said to them:

3 H earken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Give attention to this! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 a nd it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5 A nd some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Other seed fell on ground full of rocks, where it had not much soil; and at once it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil;

6 b ut when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

And when the sun came up, it was scorched, and because it had not taken root, it withered away.

7 A nd some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Other seed fell among thorn plants, and the thistles grew and pressed together and utterly choked and suffocated it, and it yielded no grain.

8 A nd other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And other seed fell into good (well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred times as much as had been sown.

9 A nd he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And He said, He who has ears to hear, let him be hearing '> consider, and comprehend].

10 A nd when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

And as soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, with the Twelve, began to ask Him about the parables.

11 A nd he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God '> the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside '> of our circle] everything becomes a parable,

12 t hat seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

In order that they may look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, lest haply they should turn again, and it '> their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them.

13 A nd he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables?

14 T he sower soweth the word.

The sower sows the Word.

15 A nd these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown, but when they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the message which is sown in them.

16 A nd these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy;

17 a nd have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.

18 A nd these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;

19 a nd the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

20 A nd these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some a hundred times as much.

21 A nd he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

And He said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a peck measure or under a bed, and not on the lampstand?

22 F or there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

'> Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything kept secret except in order that it may be made known.

23 I f any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.

24 A nd he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure you give '> the truth you hear] will be the measure that comes back to you—and more will be given to you who hear.

25 F or he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away '> by force],

26 A nd he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground,

27 a nd should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases—he knows not how.

28 F or the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

The earth produces by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 B ut when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.

30 A nd he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?

31 I t is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth;

32 b ut when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.

33 A nd with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

With many such parables spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear and to comprehend and understand.

34 B ut without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

He did not tell them anything without a parable; but privately to His disciples ( those who were peculiarly His own) He explained everything.

35 A nd the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

On that same day evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side.

36 A nd when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, as He was, in the boat. And other boats were with Him.

37 A nd there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And a furious storm of wind '> of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.

38 A nd he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?

39 A nd he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased ( sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was a great calm ( a perfect peacefulness).

40 A nd he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?

41 A nd they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?