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.

Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

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

He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

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

“Listen! Behold, the farmer 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 as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

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

Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

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

When the sun had risen, 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.

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

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.”

Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

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

He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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

When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

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.

He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done 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

that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

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

He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

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

The farmer 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.

The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

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

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

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.

They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

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

Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard 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 age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of 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

Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

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?

He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

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, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

23 Y ou have ears, then listen!”

If any man 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.

He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.

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 will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

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

He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

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 and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn’t 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 bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

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 fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

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?

He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate 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’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the 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.”

yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

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

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

Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

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

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go 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.

Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small 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.

A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

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?”

He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

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.

He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” 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?”

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? 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!”

They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”