1 A gain 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.

¶ And 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.

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

And he taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine,

3 G ive attention to this! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

Hearken; Behold, the sower went out to sow;

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

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

5 O ther 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;

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

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

but when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away.

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

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 A nd 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.

And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty and some sixty and some a hundred.

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

And he said unto them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

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

And when he was alone, those that were close to him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 A nd 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,

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto those that are without, all these things are done in parables,

12 I n 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.

that 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.

13 A nd 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?

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? How then will ye understand all the parables?

14 T he sower sows the Word.

The sower is he who sows the word.

15 T he 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.

And these are those by the way side, in whom the word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 A nd 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;

And likewise these are those who are sown on stony ground, who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness

17 A nd 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.

but have no root in themselves and are temporal; afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

18 A nd the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;

And these are those who are sown among thorns, such as hear the word,

19 T hen 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.

and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 A nd 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.

And these are those who are sown in good ground, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

21 A nd 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?

¶ And he also said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel or under the bed? and not to be set in the lampstand?

22 ' > 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.

For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested; nor secret which shall not be exposed.

23 I f any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

24 A nd 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.

And he also said unto them, Take heed what ye hear; with the measure ye measure by, ye shall be measured by others, and unto you that hear shall more be added.

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

For he that has, to him shall be given; and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.

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

He also said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground

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

and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring forth and grow up, he knows not how.

28 T he earth produces by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

For the earth brings forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear.

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

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest is come.

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

He also said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we compare it?

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

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth;

32 Y et 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.

but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs and shoots out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

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

And with many such parables he spoke the word unto them as they were able to hear it.

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

But without a parable he did not speak unto them; and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

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

¶ And that same day, when evening was come, he said unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

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

And 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.

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

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

38 B ut 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?

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awoke him and said unto him, Master, dost thou not care that we perish?

39 A nd 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).

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

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

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?

41 A nd 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?

And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?