The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

1And again He began to teach beside the sea, and a very great crowd gathered together to Him, so that He, having entered into a boat,† sat down in the sea, and all the crowd was close to the sea, on the land.

2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and He was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Listen! Behold, the one sowing went out to sow. 4And it came to pass in the sowing that some indeed fell along the path, and the birds† came and devoured it.

5And other fell upon the rocky place, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because of it not having depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because of having no root, it withered.

7And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.

8And others fell into the good soil, and it was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and one bearing thirtyfold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

9And He was saying,† “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

10And when He was alone, those around Him with the Twelve were asking Him about the parables.†

11And He was saying to them, “To you⁺ has been given† the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything is done in parables, 12so that:

‘Seeing they might see and not perceive,

and hearing they might hear and not understand,

lest ever they might return,

and they might be forgiven.’”†”

The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

13And He says to them, “Do you⁺ not know this parable? And how will you⁺ know all the parables?

14The one sowing sows the word. 15Now these are the ones† along the path where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.†

16And these are likewise those sown upon the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then, on tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are caused to stumble.

18And others are the ones sown among the thorns. These are the ones having heard the word, 19and the anxieties of the age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20And those are the ones having been sown upon the good soil, such as hear the word and receive it and bear fruit: one thirtyfold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

The Lesson of the Lamp
(Luke 8:16–18)

21And He was saying to them, “Does the lamp come so that it might be put under the basket or under the bed? Is it not so that it might be put upon the lampstand? 22For there is nothing that is hidden except so that it should be made manifest; nor was anything hidden away but so that it should come to be manifest.

23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24And He was saying to them, “Look at what you⁺ hear. In what measure you⁺ measure, it will be measured to you⁺, and it will be added to you⁺.† 25For whoever has, it will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

26And He was saying, “Thus is The kingdom of God: as a man may cast the seed upon the earth, 27and may sleep and rise night and day, and the seed may sprout and grow—he does not know how. 28Of itself,† the earth bears fruit—first a plant, then an ear, then full grain in the ear. 29And when the fruit may offer itself, immediately he sends the sickle, because the harvest has come.†”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

30And He was saying, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or in what parable shall we put† it? 31It is like a grain of mustard, which, when it may be sown upon the earth, is smallest of all the seeds that are upon the earth. 32And when it may be sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and makes great branches, so that under its shadow the birds of the sky are able to lodge.”

33And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear. 34And without a parable He was not speaking to them; but in private to His own disciples He was explaining all things.

Jesus Calms the Storm
(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

35And on that day, evening having come, He says to them, “Let us pass over to the other side.” 36And having dismissed the crowd, they take Him along just as He was, in the boat; and other boats† were with Him.

37And there comes a great storm of wind, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so as already to be filling the boat.† 38And He was in the stern on the cushion, sleeping. And they awaken Him and say to Him, “Teacher, is it no concern to You that we are perishing?”

39And having been awoken, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” And the wind abated, and there was a great calm.

40And He said to them, “Why are you⁺ afraid? Have you⁺† still no faith?”

41And they feared with great fear, and they were saying to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Footnotes:

1 BYZ and TR the boat
4 TR the birds of the air
9 GOC and TR saying to them
10 BYZ and TR parable
11 BYZ and TR include to know.
12 Isaiah 6:9–10 (see also LXX); BYZ and TR include their sins.
15 Or Some are like the seeds
15 BYZ and TR sown in their hearts
24 BYZ and TR include who hear.
28 BYZ and TR For of itself
29 See Joel 3:13, including LXX.
30 BYZ and TR shall we compare
36 BYZ and TR other small boats
37 GOC so as already the boat was beginning to sink
40 BYZ and TR How have you