| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. | 1Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. |
| 2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: | 2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: |
| 3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. | 3"Listen! A sower went out to sow. |
| 4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. | 4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. |
| 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. | 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. |
| 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. | 6When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered. |
| 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. | 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. |
| 8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” | 8But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times." |
| 9And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” | 9And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!" |
| 10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. | 10When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. |
| 11And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, | 11He said to them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables, |
| 12so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” | 12so that although they look they may look but not see, and although they hear they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven." |
| 13And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? | 13He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? |
| 14The sower sows the word. | 14The sower sows the word. |
| 15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. | 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. |
| 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. | 16These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. |
| 17And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. | 17But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. |
| 18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, | 18Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, |
| 19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. | 19but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. |
| 20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” | 20But these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred." |
| 21And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? | 21He also said to them, "A lamp isn't brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn't it to be placed on a lampstand? |
| 22For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. | 22For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. |
| 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” | 23If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!" |
| 24And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. | 24And he said to them, "Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. |
| 25For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” | 25For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." |
| 26And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. | 26He also said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. |
| 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. | 27He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. |
| 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. | 28By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. |
| 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” | 29And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come." |
| 30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? | 30He also asked, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? |
| 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, | 31It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground-- |
| 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” | 32when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade." |
| 33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. | 33So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. |
| 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. | 34He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples. |
| 35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” | 35On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." |
| 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. | 36So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. |
| 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. | 37Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. |
| 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” | 38But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?" |
| 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. | 39So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Be quiet! Calm down!" Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. |
| 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” | 40And he said to them, "Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?" |
| 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” | 41They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!" |
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