1 AGAIN Jesus began to teach beside the lake, and a very great crowd gathered around him, so that he got into a boat on the lake and sat down, and all the crowd was on the shore near the lake.

2 He taught them many things by figures of speech. He said to them in his teaching,

3 "Listen; a sower went out to sow,

4 and it happened, as he was sowing, that some seed fell beside the road and the birds came and ate it.

5 Other seed fell on stony places where it had not much earth, and it sprang up at once because it had no depth of soil,

6 but when the sun came up it was scorched and because it had no root it withered away.

7 Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no grain.

8 Other seed fell into good ground and grew tall and strong and yielded thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

9 He said to them, "Let him who has ears to hear with hear."

10 When he was alone, his close friends and the twelve asked him about the illustrations.

11 He replied, "To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been confided. But to outsiders all things come in figures of speech

12 so that they may look straight and yet not see, and hear plainly, yet not understand, and thus they will never repent and be forgiven."

13 He said to them, "Do you not understand this illustration? How, then, will you understand all the illustrations?

14 The sower sows the word.

15 These are those in whom the message is sown by the roadside \'97 such as hear, but immediately Satan comes and takes away the message that was sown in their minds.

16 These are they likewise who received seed on stony places \'97 such as hear and immediately and gladly receive the word,

17 but, since they have no root, but are fickle, whenever trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fail.

18 Others are those who receive seed among thorns \'97 such as hear the word,

19 but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the passions for other things come in and choke the word, and it turns out barren.

20 These are those who received seed in good ground \'97 such as hear the message and receive it and yield thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

21 He said to them, "A light is not brought in to be put under a peck-measure or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be placed on the stand?

22 For there is nothing hidden except to be manifested; nor was anything made secret except to come to light.

23 If any one has ears to hear with, let him hear."

24 He said again to them, "Be careful what you hear. With the measure that you measure with, it will be measured to you, and more will be given you.

25 For to him who has will be given, and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken."

26 He said again, "The kingdom of God is like this: A man casts seed on the ground

27 and goes on sleeping by night and rising by day, and the seed sprouts and grows up, he knows not how.

28 The ground of itself yields fruit: first the stalk, then the ear, then comes the full grain in the ear.

29 When the grain is ripe immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come."

30 Again he said, "With what shall we compare the kingdom of God? or by what figure can we illustrate it?

31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the ground, although it is the least of all the seeds that are in the ground,

32 yet grows up and becomes larger than all the garden herbs, and puts out great branches so that the birds of the air can find shelter under its shadow."

33 With many such illustrations he went on talking to them as they were able to listen;

34 but except in figures of speech he did not talk to them. Privately to his own disciples he explained all things.

35 On that day when evening came he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."

36 So they left the crowd and took him along just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with them.

37 Then a heavy squall of wind came up and the waves beat into the boat so that it was filling.

38 But he was in the stern asleep on the cushion. They aroused him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are sinking?"

39 When he awoke, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." The wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 Then he asked them, "Why are you so timid? How is it you have no faith?"

41 But they were intensely awestruck and said to one another, "Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the lake obey him?"