| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 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. | 1Then Jesus began to teach again beside the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the entire crowd remained beside the sea on the shore. |
| 2He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: | 2He began teaching them many things in parables. While he was teaching them he said, |
| 3"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. | 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow. |
| 4As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. | 4As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. |
| 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. | 5Others fell on stony ground, where they didn't have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once, because the soil wasn't deep. |
| 6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered. | 6But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they didn't have any roots, they dried up. |
| 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop. | 7Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they didn't produce anything. |
| 8Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown." | 8But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown." |
| 9Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!" | 9He added, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!" |
| 10When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. | 10When he was alone with the Twelve and those around him, they began to ask him about the parables. |
| 11He answered them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables | 11He told them, "The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes 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 see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'" |
| 13Then He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? | 13Then he told them, "You don't understand this parable, so how can 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 people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately 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. | 16Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it, |
| 17But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble. | 17but since they don't have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away. |
| 18Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, | 18Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who 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 life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can't produce a crop. |
| 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." | 20Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—30, 60, or 100 times what was sown." |
| 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? | 21Then Jesus told them, "A lamp isn't brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It's to be put on a lamp stand, isn't it? |
| 22For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light. | 22Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light. |
| 23If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!" | 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen! |
| 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 to them, "Pay attention to what you're hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given 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." | 25because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away." |
| 26"The kingdom of God is like this," He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground; | 26He was also saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. |
| 27he sleeps and rises--night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--he doesn't know how. | 27He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn't know how |
| 28The soil produces a crop by itself--first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head. | 28the ground produces grain by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. |
| 29But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come." | 29But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come." |
| 30And He said: "How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? | 30He was also saying, "How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it? |
| 31It's like a mustard seed that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. | 31It's like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it's the smallest of all the seeds on 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." | 32when it's planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade." |
| 33He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. | 33With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to 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, though he explained everything to his disciples in private. |
| 35On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the sea." | 35That day, when evening had come, he told them, "Let's 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. | 36So they left the crowd and took him away in a boat without making any special preparations. Other boats were with him. |
| 37A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. | 37A violent windstorm came up, and the waves began breaking into the boat, so that the boat was rapidly becoming 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 back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and asked him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?" |
| 39He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. | 39Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, "Calm down! Be still!" Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm. |
| 40Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" | 40He asked them, "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith yet?" |
| 41And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!" | 41Overcome with fear, they kept saying to one another, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!" |
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