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Parable of the soils

Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore. He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said, “Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing. Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one.” He said, “Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”

Jesus explains his parable

10 When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables. 12 This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven.

13 “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The farmer scatters the word. 15 This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them. 16 Here’s the meaning of the seed that fell on rocky ground: When people hear the word, they immediately receive it joyfully. 17 Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18 Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20 The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one.”

Parables about lamps and measures

21 Jesus said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp in order to put it under a basket or a bed? Shouldn’t it be placed on a lampstand? 22 Everything hidden will be revealed, and everything secret will come out into the open. 23 Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”

24 He said to them, “Listen carefully! God will evaluate you with the same standard you use to evaluate others. Indeed, you will receive even more. 25 Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don’t have, even what they don’t have will be taken away from them.”

More parables about God’s kingdom

26 Then Jesus said, “This is what God’s kingdom is like. It’s as though someone scatters seed on the ground, 27 then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn’t know how. 28 The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain. 29 Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it’s harvesttime.”

30 He continued, “What’s a good image for God’s kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it? 31 Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it’s the smallest of all the seeds on the earth; 32 but when it’s planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he continued to give them the word, as much as they were able to hear. 34 He spoke to them only in parables, then explained everything to his disciples when he was alone with them.

Jesus stops a storm

35 Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.

37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”

39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. 40 Jesus asked them, “Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?”

41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

· kai Again palin Jesus began archō to teach didaskō beside para the ho lake thalassa. And kai a very large polys crowd ochlos gathered synagō about pros him autos, so hōste that he autos got embainō into eis a boat ploion and sat kathēmai there out on en the ho lake thalassa while kai all pas the ho people ochlos were eimi on epi shore by pros the edge of the ho water thalassa. · ho And kai he taught didaskō them autos many things polys by en parables parabolē, and kai in en his autos teaching didachē said legō to them autos: · ho Listen akouō! A sower speirō went exerchomai out · ho to sow speirō. And kai as en he was sowing speirō, some hos seed fell piptō along para the ho path hodos, and kai birds peteinon came erchomai · ho and kai ate katesthiō it autos up. · kai Other allos seed fell piptō on epi · ho rocky ground petrōdēs where hopou it did not ou have echō much polys soil , and kai it sprang up exanatellō right away because dia · ho it had echō no depth bathos of soil . · kai When hote the ho sun hēlios came anatellō up , the plant was scorched kaumatizō, and kai because dia · ho it did not have echō a root rhiza, it withered xērainō away . · kai Other allos seed fell piptō among eis the ho thorns akantha, and kai the ho thorns akantha came anabainō up and kai choked sympnigō it autos, and kai it did didōmi not ou produce didōmi grain karpos. But kai other allos seed fell piptō into eis · ho good kalos soil · ho and kai produced didōmi grain karpos, sprouting anabainō, · kai growing auxanō, and kai bearing pherō thirty heis triakonta, · kai sixty heis hexēkonta, and kai even a hundredfold heis hekaton.” And kai he said legō, “ Whoever hos has echō ears ous to hear akouō, let him listen akouō!” 10 · kai When hote he was ginomai alone kata monos, those ho around peri him autos with syn the ho twelve dōdeka asked erōtaō him autos about erōtaō the ho parables parabolē. 11 And kai he said legō to them autos, “ To you hymeis has been given didōmi the ho mystery mystērion of the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos, but de to those ekeinos · ho outside exō, everything pas is ginomai in en parables parabolē, · ho 12 so hina that when they look blepō, they may see blepō yet kai not perceive, and kai when they listen akouō, they may hear akouō yet kai not understand syniēmi; otherwise mēpote they might turn epistrephō and kai be forgiven aphiēmi.’”

13 And kai he said legō to them autos, “ Do you not ou understand oida · ho this houtos parable parabolē? Then kai how pōs will you understand ginōskō all pas the ho parables parabolē? 14 The ho sower speirō sows speirō the ho word logos. 15 These houtos · de are eimi the ho ones on para the ho path hodos where hopou the ho word logos is sown speirō: · kai whenever hotan they hear akouō, Satan Satanas immediately comes erchomai · ho and kai carries airō off the ho word logos that ho was sown speirō in eis them autos. 16 · kai These houtos are eimi the ho ones sown speirō on epi · ho rocky ground petrōdēs: whenever hotan they hear akouō the ho word logos, they lambanō immediately receive lambanō it autos with meta joy chara. 17 But kai they have echō no ou root rhiza in en themselves heautou and alla last for eimi only a limited time proskairos. Then eita, when tribulation thlipsis or ē persecution diōgmos comes ginomai because dia of the ho word logos, immediately they fall skandalizō away . 18 · kai Others allos are eimi the ho ones sown speirō among eis the ho thorns akantha: these houtos are eimi the ho ones who hear akouō the ho word logos, 19 but kai the ho cares merimna of the ho world aiōn, · kai the ho deceitfulness apatē of ho wealth ploutos, and kai the ho desires epithumia for peri · ho many other things loipos come eisporeuomai in and choke sympnigō the ho word logos, and kai it becomes ginomai barren akarpos. 20 · kai These ekeinos are eimi the ho ones sown speirō on epi · ho good kalos soil : · ho they hostis hear akouō the ho word logos, · kai accept paradechomai it, and kai bear karpophoreō fruit thirty heis triakonta, · kai sixty heis hexēkonta, and kai even a hundredfold heis hekaton.”

21 And kai he said legō to them autos, “A lamp lychnos is not mēti brought erchomai · ho to hina be put tithēmi under hypo a ho basket modios or ē under hypo a ho bed klinē, is it? Is it not ou to hina be put tithēmi on epi a ho lampstand lychnia? 22 For gar nothing ou is eimi hidden kryptos except ean mē to hina be disclosed phaneroō; nor oude is ginomai anything concealed apokryphos, except alla to hina come erchomai to eis light phaneros. 23 If ei anyone tis has echō ears ous to hear akouō, let him listen akouō!” 24 And kai he said legō to them autos, “ Pay attention blepō to what tis you hear akouō. By en what hos measure metron you measure metreō it will be measured metreō out to you hymeis, and kai more will be added prostithēmi to you hymeis. 25 For gar whoever hos has echō, more will be given didōmi to him autos; and kai whoever hos does not ou have echō, even kai what hos he does have echō will be taken airō away from apo him autos.” 26 And kai he said legō, “ The ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos is eimi like hōs a man anthrōpos who scatters ballō · ho seed sporos on epi the ho ground . 27 · kai He goes to bed katheudō and kai gets egeirō up , night nyx and kai day hēmera, and kai the ho seed sporos sprouts blastanō and kai grows mēkynō, although he autos does not ou know oida how hōs. 28 The ho soil produces a crop karpophoreō all by itself automatos: first prōton the stalk chortos, then eita the head stachus, then eita the full plērēs grain sitos in en the ho head stachus. 29 And de when hotan the ho grain karpos is ripe paradidōmi, immediately he sends apostellō in the ho sickle drepanon, because hoti the ho harvest therismos has come paristēmi.”

30 Then kai he said legō, “To what pōs can we compare homoioō the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos, or ē what tis parable parabolē can we use tithēmi for en it autos? 31 It is like hōs a mustard sinapi seed kokkos that hos, when hotan it is sown speirō in epi the ho ground , is eimi smaller mikros than all pas of the ho seeds sperma · ho on epi · ho earth . 32 Yet kai when hotan it is sown speirō, it grows anabainō up and kai becomes ginomai larger megas than all pas the ho garden plants lachanon and kai puts poieō out large megas branches klados, so hōste that the ho birds peteinon of the ho air ouranos are able dynamai to nest kataskēnoō in hypo · ho its autos shade skia.”

33 So kai with parabolē many polys parables parabolē such as these toioutos he spoke laleō the ho word logos to them autos, as kathōs they were able dynamai to understand akouō. 34 And de without chōris a parable parabolē he did not ou speak laleō to them autos; but de privately kata idios to ho his idios own disciples mathētēs he would explain epilyō everything pas. 35 · kai On en that ekeinos same day hēmera, when ginomai evening opsia had come ginomai, he said legō to them autos, · ho Let us go dierchomai over to eis the ho other side peran.” 36 So kai after leaving aphiēmi the ho crowd ochlos, they took paralambanō him autos with them, just hōs as he was eimi, in en the ho boat ploion. And kai other allos boats ploion were eimi with meta him autos. 37 Now kai a fierce megas windstorm lailaps arose ginomai and kai the ho waves kyma began to break epiballō into eis the ho boat ploion, so hōste that the ho boat ploion was now ēdē filling gemizō. 38 But kai Jesus autos was eimi in en the ho stern prymna, sleeping katheudō on epi a ho cushion proskephalaion. · kai They woke egeirō him autos and kai said legō to him autos, “ Teacher didaskalos, do you sy not ou care melei that hoti we are perishing apollymi?” 39 So kai he got diegeirō up and rebuked epitimaō the ho wind anemos and kai said legō to the ho sea thalassa, “ Be still siōpaō! Settle phimoō down !” Then kai the ho wind anemos died kopazō down and kai there was ginomai a great megas calm galēnē. 40 And kai he said legō to them autos, “ Why tis are you eimi so fearful deilos? Have you echō still oupō no faith pistis?” 41 And kai they were filled phobeomai with great megas fear phobos and kai said legō to pros one another allēlōn, “ Who tis then ara is eimi this houtos, that hoti even kai the ho wind anemos and kai the ho sea thalassa obey hypakouō him autos?”