1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

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

3 Listen. Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

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

7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded fruit that sprang up, increased and produced: one thirtyfold, one sixty, and one a hundred.

9 And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

11 And He said to them, To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things are in parables,

12 so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should convert, and their sins be forgiven them.

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

14 The sower sows the Word.

15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the Word is sown: When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts.

16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the Word, immediately receive it with joy;

17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately they stumble.

18 And these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the Word,

19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things entering in choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the Word, receive it, and bear fruit: one thirtyfold, one sixty, and one a hundred.

21 And He said to them, Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?

22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but what it will come to light.

23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And He said to them, Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

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

26 And He said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

27 and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

28 For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the fruit yields, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

30 And He said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to nest under its shade.

33 And with many such parables He spoke the Word to them as they were able to hear it.

34 But He did not speak to them without a parable. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

35 And the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, Let us cross over to the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already full.

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?

39 And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Be silent! Be muzzled! And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 And He said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?