| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. | 1Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore. |
| 2He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: | 2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, |
| 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. | 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. |
| 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. | 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. |
| 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. | 5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. |
| 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. | 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. |
| 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. | 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop. |
| 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” | 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.” |
| 9Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” | 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” |
| 10Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. | 10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable. |
| 11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, | 11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, |
| 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’ ” | 12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’ ” |
| 13Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? | 13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? |
| 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. | 14The farmer sows the word. |
| 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. | 15Some are like the seeds 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. |
| 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. | 16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. |
| 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. | 17But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. |
| 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, | 18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, |
| 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. | 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. |
| 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Parable of the Lamp | 20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.” |
| 21Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. | 21Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand? |
| 22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. | 22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. |
| 23 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” | 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” |
| 24Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given —and you will receive even more. | 24He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you. |
| 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” Parable of the Growing Seed | 25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” |
| 26Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. | 26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. |
| 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. | 27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. |
| 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. | 28All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. |
| 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” Parable of the Mustard Seed | 29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.” |
| 30Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? | 30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? |
| 31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, | 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. |
| 32 but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.” | 32But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.” |
| 33Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. | 33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. |
| 34In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them. Jesus Calms the Storm | 34He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples. |
| 35As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” | 35When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” |
| 36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). | 36After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him. |
| 37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. | 37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. |
| 38Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” | 38But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” |
| 39When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. | 39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. |
| 40Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” | 40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” |
| 41The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” | 41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” |
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