4
1 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 He
taught them many
things in parables,
and told them
in his teaching,
3 “Listen! Behold,
the farmer went
out to sow.
4 As he sowed,
some seed fell
by the road,
and the
birds
came and
devoured it.
5 Others fell on
the rocky ground,
where it
had little soil,
and immediately
it sprang up,
because it had
no depth of soil.
6 When the sun
had risen, it
was scorched;
and because it
had no root,
it withered away.
7 Others fell
among the thorns,
and the thorns grew
up and choked
it, and it
yielded no fruit.
8 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 He
said,
“Whoever has
ears to hear,
let him hear.”
10 When
he was alone,
those who were
around him with
the twelve asked
him about the
parables.
11 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 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 He
said to them,
“Don’t you
understand this
parable? How
will you
understand all
of the parables?
14 The farmer sows
the word.
15 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 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 They have no
root in
themselves, but
are short-lived. When oppression
or persecution
arises because
of the word,
immediately they
stumble.
18 Others are
those who are
sown among
the thorns. These
are those who
have heard the
word,
19 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 Those which
were sown on
the good ground
are those
who hear the
word, accept it,
and bear fruit,
some thirty times,
some sixty times,
and some one
hundred times.”
21 He
said to them,
“Is a lamp
brought to be
put under a
basket
or under a
bed? Isn’t it
put on a stand?
22 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 If any man
has ears to hear,
let him hear.”
24 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 For whoever has,
to him more
will be given;
and he
who doesn’t have,
even that which
he has will
be taken away from
him.”
26 He
said,
“God’s Kingdom is
as if a
man should cast
seed on the
earth,
27 and should
sleep and rise
night and day,
and the seed
should spring up
and grow, though
he doesn’t know
how.
28 For the earth
bears fruit
by itself: first
the blade, then
the ear, then
the full grain
in the ear.
29 But when the
fruit is ripe,
immediately he puts
in the sickle,
because the
harvest has
come.”
30 He
said,
“How will
we liken God’s Kingdom?
Or with what
parable will
we illustrate it?
31 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 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 With
many such parables
he spoke the
word to them,
as they were
able to hear it.
34 Without
a parable
he didn’t speak
to them; but
privately to his
own disciples
he explained everything.
35 On
that day, when
evening had come,
he said to
them,
“Let’s go over
to the other
side.”
36 Leaving
the multitude,
they took him
with them, even
as he was,
in the boat.
Other small boats
were also with
him.
37 A
big wind storm
arose, and the
waves beat into
the boat, so
much that the
boat was already
filled.
38 He himself
was in the
stern, asleep on
the cushion; and
they woke him
up and asked
him, “Teacher, don’t
you care that
we are dying?”
39 He
awoke and rebuked
the wind, and said
to the sea,
“Peace! Be
still!”
The wind ceased
and there was
a great calm.
40 He
said to them,
“Why are you
so afraid? How
is it that
you have no
faith?”
41 They
were greatly
afraid and said
to one another, “Who
then is this,
that even the wind
and the sea
obey him?”