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

1On that day Jesus having come out from the house, was sitting by the sea: 2and many multitudes were gathered unto Him, so that having gone into a ship, He sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold a sower went out to sow. 4And while he was sowing, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and ate them up. 5And others fell among stones, where they had not much earth: and sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of earth: 6and the sun having risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7But others fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8But others fell in good ground, and gave fruit, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty. 9Let him that hath ears to hear, hear.

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)

10And His disciples coming, said to Him; Wherefore do you speak to them in parables? 11He responding said to them, Because it has been given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. 12But whosoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have more abundantly: but whosoever has not, it shall be taken from him even what he has. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14And the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled unto them, saying, By hearing ye shall hear, and may not understand; and seeing you shall see, and may not perceive.

15Because the heart of this people is waxed gross, and they heard heavily with their ears, and closed their eyes; lest they may see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I shall heal them.

16But happy are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17Truly I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see those things which you see, and saw them not; and to hear those things which you hear, and heard them not.

The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

18Therefore hear ye the parable of the sower. 19Every one hearing the word of the kingdom, and not understanding it, the wicked one comes, and seizes away that which is sown in his heart: he is the one sown by the wayside. 20But the one sown upon the rocks, is he who heareth the word, and immediately with joy receives it; 21but it has no root in him, but is temporary; and tribulation or persecution arising on account of the word, immediately he is offended. 22But the one sown among the thorns, is he who heareth the word; and the care of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke out the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23And the one having been sown on good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who truly bears fruit, and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty.

The Parable of the Weeds

24He put forth another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man sowing good seed in his field. 25And while the men slept, an enemy came, and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and departed. 26And when the blades sprang up, and produced fruit, then the tares were also made manifest. 27And the servants of the landlord having come to him said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? whence then hath it tares? 28And he said to them, A hostile man did this. And the servants say to him, Then do you wish that we, having gone, may gather them? 29And he says, No; lest gathering the tares together you may at the same time along with them root up the wheat. 30Let both grow together till the harvest: and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, First gather the tares, and bind them in bundles, in order to burn them: and gather the wheat into my barn.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)

31And He submitted another parable to them, saying; The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which, a man having taken, sowed in his field; 32which indeed is the smallest of all seeds; and when it grows up, is the greatest of herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven indeed lodge in its branches.

The Parable of the Leaven
(Luke 13:20–21)

33And he spake another parable unto them; The kingdom of the heavens is like unto the leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

34Jesus spoke all of these things to the multitudes in parables; and without a parable He was not speaking to them:

35in order that the word spoken by Isaiah, the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables: I will make known the things which have been hidden from the foundation.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36Then leaving the multitudes, He came into the house: and His disciples came to Him saying; Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. 37And He responding said, The one sowing the good seed is the Son of man; 38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the wicked one, 39and the enemy sowing them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels. 40Then as the tares are gathered and burnt up with fire; so it will be in the end of the age. 41The Son of man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity, 42and will cast them into the furnace of the fire: and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. But let the one having ears, hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

44The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a treasure having been hidden in a field; which a man having found, concealed; and from his joy he goes and sells all things so many as he has, and buys that field.

45Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man seeking beautiful pearls: 46and having found one pearl of great price, having gone away he sold all things, so many as he had, and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a net cast into the sea, and gathering of every kind; 48which, when it was filled, drawing up on the shore, and sitting down, they gathered the good into baskets, and threw the bad away. 49So it will be in the end of the age: the angels will go forth, and will separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, 50and will cast them into the furnace of the fire: and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51Do you understand all these things? They say to Him, Yea. 52And He said to them, Therefore every scribe having been discipled into the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man who is a landlord, who bringeth out of his treasure things both new and old.

The Rejection at Nazareth
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)

53And it came to pass, when Jesus finished these parables, He departed thence. 54And having come into His own country He was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Whence this wisdom and these miracles unto Him? 55Is not He the son of the carpenter? is not His mother called Mary? are not His brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56And are not His sisters all here with us? Whence then are these things to Him? 57And they were offended in Him. And Jesus said to them; A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house. 58And He did not many mighty works there on account of their unbelief.