| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. | 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. |
| 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: | 2He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: |
| 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. | 3"Listen! A sower went out to sow. |
| 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, 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. |
| 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. | 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. |
| 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. | 6When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered. |
| 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. | 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. |
| 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." | 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." |
| 9Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." | 9And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!" |
| 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. | 10When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. |
| 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said 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 be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might 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." |
| 13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? | 13He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? |
| 14The farmer sows the word. | 14The sower sows the word. |
| 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was 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. |
| 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. | 16These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. |
| 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly 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. |
| 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; | 18Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, |
| 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. | 19but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. |
| 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown." | 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." |
| 21He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its 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 whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. | 22For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. |
| 23If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear." | 23If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!" |
| 24"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. | 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. |
| 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." | 25For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." |
| 26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. | 26He also said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. |
| 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. | 27He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. |
| 28All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. | 28By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. |
| 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." | 29And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come." |
| 30Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe 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 mustard seed, which is the smallest of all 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 planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch 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 similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. | 33So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. |
| 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. | 34He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples. |
| 35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "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 behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. | 36So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. |
| 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. | 37Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. |
| 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" | 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?" |
| 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely 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 his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" | 40And he said to them, "Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?" |
| 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves 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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