Mark 4
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.
2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
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 Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
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,
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, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14The farmer sows the word.
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.
16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
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.
18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
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.
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.”
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?
22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
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.
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 man who scatters seed on the ground.
27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
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.”
33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
35When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
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.
37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
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?”
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.
40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 13
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.
8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
9He who has ears, let him hear.”
10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.
32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
36Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.
48When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.
49So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.
52Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
53When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.
54Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.
55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”
58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
