Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.

2He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:

2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,

3"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.

3"Listen to this! Behold, the sower 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 seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it 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.

5"Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered.

6"And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop.

7"Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

8Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown."

8"Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

9Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"

9And He was saying, "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 He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking 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

11And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything 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 WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."

13Then He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?

13And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?

14The sower sows the word.

14"The sower 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.

15"These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.

16"In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately 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.

17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

18Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

18"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard 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 the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter 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."

20"And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and 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?

21And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

22For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light.

22"For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.

23If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!"

23"If 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.

24And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.

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."

25"For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

26"The kingdom of God is like this," He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground;

26And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

27he sleeps and rises--night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--he doesn't know how.

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-- how, he himself does not know.

28The soil produces a crop by itself--first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head.

28"The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

29But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come."

29"But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in 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?

30And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by 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.

31"It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

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."

32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE."

33He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.

33With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;

34And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.

34and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately 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."

35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over 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.

36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and 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.

37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.

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?"

38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not 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.

39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

40Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"

40And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? 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!"

41They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org