1 J esus began to teach by the sea-shore again. Many people gathered around Him. There were so many He had to get into a boat and sit down. The people were on the shore.

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

2 H e taught them many things by using picture-stories. As He taught, He said,

Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

3 “ Listen! A man went out to plant seed.

“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 A s he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. Birds came and ate them.

And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

5 S ome seed fell among rocks. It came up at once because there was so little ground.

Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

6 B ut it dried up when the sun was high in the sky because it had no root.

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

7 S ome seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow. This seed gave no grain.

And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

8 S ome seed fell on good ground. It came up and grew and gave much grain. Some gave thirty times as much grain. Some gave sixty times as much grain. Some gave one hundred times as much grain.”

But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9 H e said to them, “You have ears, then listen!”

And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The Purpose of Parables

10 T hose who were with Jesus and the twelve followers came to Him when He was alone. They asked about the picture-story.

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

11 H e said to them, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of God. Everything is told in picture-stories to those who are outside the holy nation of God.

And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

12 T hey see, but do not know what it means. They hear, but do not understand. If they did, they might turn to God and have their sins forgiven.” Jesus Tells about the Man Who Planted the Seed

so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’” The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 J esus said to them, “Do you not understand this picture-story? Then how will you understand any of the picture-stories?

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

14 W hat the man plants is the Word of God.

The sower sows the word.

15 T hose by the side of the road are the ones who hear the Word. As soon as they hear it, the devil comes and takes away the Word that is planted in their hearts.

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 T he seed that fell among rocks is like people who receive the Word with joy when they hear it.

These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 T heir roots are not deep so they live only a short time. When sorrow and trouble come because of the Word, they give up and fall away.

and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

18 T he seed that was planted among thorns is like some people who listen to the Word.

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

19 B ut the cares of this life let thorns come up. A love for riches and always wanting other things let thorns grow. These things do not give the Word room to grow so it does not give grain.

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

20 T he seed that fell on good ground is like people who hear the Word and understand it. They give much grain. Some give thirty times as much grain. Some give sixty times as much grain. Some give one hundred times as much grain.” The Picture-Story of the Lamp

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Light Under a Basket

21 H e said to them, “Is a lamp to be put under a pail or under a bed? Should it not be put on a lamp-stand?

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?

22 E verything that is hidden will be brought into the light. Everything that is a secret will be made known.

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

23 Y ou have ears, then listen!”

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 J esus said to them, “Be careful what you listen to. The same amount you give will be given to you, and even more.

Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

25 H e who has, to him will be given. To him who does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him.” The Picture-Story of the Grain

For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 H e said, “The holy nation of God is like a man who plants seed in the ground.

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

27 H e goes to sleep every night and gets up every day. The seed grows, but he does not know how.

and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

28 T he earth gives fruit by itself. The leaf comes first and then the young grain can be seen. And last, the grain is ready to gather.

For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

29 A s soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it. The time of gathering the grain has come.” The Picture-Story of the Mustard Seed

But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 J esus said, “In what way can we show what the holy nation of God is like? Or what picture-story can we use to help you understand?

Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

31 I t is like a grain of mustard seed that is planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds.

It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

32 A fter it is put in the ground, it grows and becomes the largest of the spices. It puts out long branches so birds of the sky can live in it.”

but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” Jesus’ Use of Parables

33 A s they were able to understand, He spoke the Word to them by using many picture-stories.

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

34 J esus helped His followers understand everything when He was alone with them. The Wind and Waves Obey Jesus

But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

35 I t was evening of that same day. Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

36 A fter sending the people away, they took Jesus with them in a boat. It was the same boat He used when He taught them. Other little boats went along with them.

Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37 A bad wind storm came up. The waves were coming over the side of the boat. It was filling up with water.

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

38 J esus was in the back part of the boat sleeping on a pillow. They woke Him up, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?”

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 H e got up and spoke sharp words to the wind. He said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be still.” At once the wind stopped blowing. There were no more waves.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 H e said to His followers, “Why are you so full of fear? Do you not have faith?”

But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

41 T hey were very much afraid and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!”

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”