| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Again He began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. | 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 many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: | 2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, |
| 3"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. | 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. |
| 4As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. | 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. |
| 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn't have deep soil. | 5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. |
| 6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered. | 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. |
| 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop. | 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop. |
| 8Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown." | 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 who has ears to hear should listen!" | 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” |
| 10When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. | 10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable. |
| 11He answered them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables | 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 look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back-- 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 He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? | 13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? |
| 14The sower sows the word. | 14The farmer sows the word. |
| 15These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. | 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. |
| 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. | 16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. |
| 17But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble. | 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 sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, | 18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, |
| 19but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. | 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. |
| 20But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown." | 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.” |
| 21He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it to be put on a lampstand? | 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 nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light. | 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, he should listen!" | 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” |
| 24Then He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured and added to you. | 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 to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, 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 away from him.” |
| 26"The kingdom of God is like this," He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground; | 26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. |
| 27he sleeps and rises--night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--he doesn't know how. | 27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. |
| 28The soil produces a crop by itself--first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head. | 28All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. |
| 29But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come." | 29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.” |
| 30And He said: "How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? | 30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? |
| 31It's like a mustard seed that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. | 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. |
| 32And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest 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.” |
| 33He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. | 33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. |
| 34And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples. | 34He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples. |
| 35On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the sea." | 35When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” |
| 36So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. | 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. |
| 37A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. | 37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. |
| 38But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't You care that we're going to die?" | 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?” |
| 39He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, 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 said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" | 40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” |
| 41And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!" | 41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” |
|
