¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(A) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(B)

⁴⁴ “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush^(A) all those kingdoms^(B) and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.^{(C) 45} This is the meaning of the vision of the rock^(D) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands^(E)—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.^(F) The dream is true^(G) and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

²² “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot^(A) from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.^{(B) 23} On the mountain heights^(C) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit^(D) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.^{(E) 24} All the trees of the forest^(F) will know that I the Lord bring down^(G) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.^(H)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.^(I)’”

⁴ But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew^(A) to about five thousand.

⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(A) that day.

³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(A)(B)

³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like^(C) a mustard seed,^(D) which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”^(E)