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¹ And again he began to teach by the seaside. And there is gathered to him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land.² And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching,³ Listen: Look, the sower went forth to sow:⁴ and it came to pass, as he sowed, some [seed] fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.⁵ And other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground], where it did not have much earth; and right away it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:⁶ and when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.⁷ And other [seed] fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.⁸ And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.⁹ And he said, Who has ears to hear, let him hear.¹⁰ And when he was alone, those that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.¹¹ And he said to them, To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to those that are outside, all things are done in parables:¹² that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.¹³ And he says to them, Do you not know this parable? and how shall you know all the parables?¹⁴ The sower sows the word.¹⁵ And these are those by the wayside, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, right away Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.¹⁶ And these are those that are sown on the rocky [places], who, when they have heard the word, right away receive it with joy;¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, but endure for awhile; then, when tribulation or persecution rises because of the word, right away they stumble.¹⁸ And others are those that are sown among the thorns; these are those that have heard the word,¹⁹ and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.²⁰ And those are the ones that were sown on the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

²¹ And he said to them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, [and] not to be put on the stand?²² For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was [anything] made secret, but that it should come to light.²³ If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.²⁴ And he said to them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given to you.²⁵ For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has.²⁶ And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth;²⁷ and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn't know how.²⁸ The earth bears fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.²⁹ But when the fruit is ripe, right away he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.³⁰ And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,³² yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.³³ And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it;³⁴ and without a parable he did not speak to them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.

³⁵ And on that day, when evening came, he says to them, Let us go over to the other side.³⁶ And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.³⁷ And there rises a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling.³⁸ And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they wake him, and say to him, Teacher, don't you care that we perish?³⁹ And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.⁴⁰ And he said to them, Why are you fearful? have you not yet faith?⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?