Old/New Testament

Jesus Speaks To The Crowd With a Parable

8 And it came about during the successive days that He was traveling-through according to city and village, proclaiming and announcing the kingdom of God as good news. And the twelve were with Him, ² and some women who had been cured from evil spirits and infirmities— Mary, the one being called Magdalene^[a], from whom seven demons had come out, ³ and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward^[b], and Susanna, and many others, who were serving them out of their possessions. ⁴ And while a large crowd was gathering, and the ones from every city were coming to Him, He spoke with a parable—

The Sower’s Seed Falls On Different Kinds of Soil. Only The Good Soil Produces Fruit

⁵ “The one sowing went out that he might sow his seed. And during his sowing some seed fell along the road. And it was trampled-underfoot. And the birds of the heaven ate it up. ⁶ And other seed fell-down on the bed-rock. And having grown, it was dried-up because of not having moisture. ⁷ And other seed fell in the middle of the thorns. And the thorns, having grown-with it, choked it. ⁸ And other seed fell into the fertile soil. And having grown, it produced fruit, a hundred-fold”. While saying these things, He was calling, “Let the one having ears to hear, hear”.

Jesus Explains The Purpose of Parables And The Meaning of The Sower

⁹ And His disciples were asking Him what this parable might mean. ¹⁰ And the One said— “It has been given to you to know^[c] the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But I speak in parables to the others in order that while seeing they may not be seeing, and while hearing, they may not be understanding. ¹¹ Now the parable means this: the seed is the word of God. ¹² And the people along the road are the ones having heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart in order that they may not be saved, having believed. ¹³ And the people on the bed-rock are ones who are welcoming the word with joy when they hear it. And these do not have a root— they are ones who are believing for a time, and are departing^[d] in a time of testing^[e]. ¹⁴ And the seed having fallen into the thorns— these people are the ones having heard, and while proceeding are being choked by the anxieties^[f] and riches and pleasures of life. And they are not bringing-fruit-to-maturity. ¹⁵ And the seed in the good soil— these people are ones who, having heard the word in a good and fertile heart, are holding-on-to it and bearing-fruit with endurance.

Lamps Are To Give Light And Reveal What Is Hidden

¹⁶ “And no one having lit a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed. But he puts it on a lampstand^[g] in order that the ones coming in may see the light. ¹⁷ For there is not a hidden thing which will not become visible, nor a hidden-away thing which will never be known and come into visibility.

Watch How You Listen

¹⁸ “Therefore be watching how you listen. For whoever has— it will be given to him. And whoever does not have— even what he thinks^[h] that he has will be taken-away from him”.

Those Who Do The Word of God Are My Family

¹⁹ And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were not able to meet with Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You”. ²¹ But the One, having responded, said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these— the ones hearing and doing the word of God”.

Jesus Calms The Sea. Who Is This Man? Even The Winds And Sea Obey Him!

²² And it came about on one of the days that He got into a boat, and His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us go to the other side of the lake^[i]”. And they put-to-sea. ²³ Now while they were sailing, He fell-asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were being filled-with water and were being-in-danger. ²⁴ And having gone to Him, they woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And the One, having awakened, rebuked the wind and the surge of the water. And they ceased, and there was calm. ²⁵ And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But having feared, they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this One, that^[j] He commands even^[k] the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”