New American Standard Bible 1995

NET Bible

1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by 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 was saying to them in His teaching,

2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them:

3"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;

3"Listen! A sower went out to sow.

4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5"Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because 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.

6"And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because 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.

7"Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

7Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.

8"Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, 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 was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

9And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!"

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.

10When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything 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 WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN 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 will you understand all the parables?

13He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?

14"The sower sows the word.

14The sower sows the word.

15"These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been 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.

16"In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, 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 firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because 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.

18"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

18Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word,

19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

19but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.

20"And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, 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 was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

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?

22"For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.

22For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light.

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

23If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!"

24And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.

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.

25"For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

25For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

26And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

26He also said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-- how, he himself does not know.

27He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

28"The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

28By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

29"But when the crop permits, he immediately 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, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

30He also asked, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?

31"It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

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 forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER 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 was speaking the word to them, so far 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.

34and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

34He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over 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."

36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along 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 there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.

37Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.

38Jesus Himself 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 got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly 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.

40And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

40And he said to them, "Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?"

41They became very much afraid 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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