The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

1And he began agayne to teache by the sea syde: And ther gathered vnto hym much people, so greatly, that he entred into a shippe, and sate in the sea: and all the people was by the sea syde on the shore: 2And he taught them many thinges by parables, and sayde vnto them in his doctrine.

3Hearken: Beholde, there went out a sower to sowe: 4And it fortuned as he sowed, that some fell by the way syde, and the fowles of the ayre came, and deuoured it vp. 5Some fell on stonie grounde, where it had not muche earth: and immediatly sprange vp, because it had not deapth of earth. 6But assoone as the sonne was vp, it caught heate: and because it hadde not roote, it wythered away. 7And some fell among thornes: and the thornes grewe vp, and choked it, and it gaue no fruite. 8And some fell vpon good grounde, and dyd yelde fruite, that sprang vp, and grewe, and brought foorth, some thirtie folde, and some sixtie folde, and some an hundred folde. 9And he saide vnto them: He that hath eares to heare, let hym heare.

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

10And when he was alone, they that were about hym, with the twelue, asked of hym the parable. 11And he sayde vnto them: To you it is geuen to knowe the misterie of the kingdome of God: But vnto them that are without, all thynges are done by parables, 12That when they see, they may see and not discerne: and whe they heare, they may heare and not vnderstande, lest at any tyme, they shoulde turne, and their sinnes shoulde be forgeuen them.

The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

13And he sayde vnto them: Knowe ye not this parable? And howe then wyll ye knowe all other parables? 14The sower, soweth the worde. 15And they that receaued seede by the way side, are those where the worde is sowe: but when they haue hearde, Satan cometh immediatly, and taketh away the word that was sowen in their heartes. 16And lykewyse they that receaue seede into the stonie grounde, are they, which when they haue hearde the worde, at once receaue it with gladnesse. 17Yet haue no roote in them selues, and so endure but a tyme: and anone when trouble and persecution aryseth for the wordes sake, immediatlye they are offended. 18And those be they that receaue seede among thornes: and those I saye are such as heare the worde, 19And the cares of this worlde, and the deceytfulnesse of ryches, and the lustes of other thynges enter in, and choke the worde, and it is made vnfruitefull. 20And they whiche receaue seede into good grounde, are suche as heare the worde, and receaue it, so that one corne doth bryng foorth thirtie, some sixtie, some an hundred.

The Lesson of the Lamp
(Luke 8:16–18)

21And he saide vnto them: Is the candle lyghted to be put vnder a busshell, or vnder the table? And not to be put on a candelsticke? 22For there is nothing so priuie that shal not be opened: neither hath it ben so secrete, but that it shall come abrode. 23If any man haue eares to heare, let hym heare. 24And he sayde vnto them, take heede what ye heare: With what measure ye meate, with the same shall it be measured to you agayne. And vnto you that heare, shall more be geuen. 25For vnto hym that hath, shall it be geuen: and from hym that hath not, shalbe taken away, euen that which he hath.

The Seed Growing Secretly

26And he sayde, so is the kyngdome of God: euen as yf a man shoulde sowe seede in the grounde, 27And shoulde slepe, and ryse vp nyght and day, and the seede shoulde spryng & growe vp, he knoweth not howe. 28For the earth bringeth foorth fruite of her selfe, first the blade, then the eare, after that, the full corne in the eare. 29But when the fruite is brought foorth, anone he thrusteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

30And he sayde: Wherevnto shall we lyken the kyngdome of God? Or with what comparyson shall we compare it? 31It is like a grayne of mustarde seede, whiche when it is sowen in the earth, is lesse then all seedes that be in the earth. 32When it is sowen, it groweth vp, and is greater then all hearbes, and beareth great braunches, so that the fowles of the ayre may make their nestes vnder the shadowe of it.

33And with many such parables preached he the worde vnto them, as they were able to heare it. 34But without parable spake he nothing vnto them. But when they were alone, he expounded all thynges to his disciples.

Jesus Calms the Storm
(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

35And the same day, when euen was come, he saide vnto them: Let vs passe ouer vnto the other syde. 36And they left the people, and toke him, euen as he was in the shippe. And there were also with him, other litle shippes. 37And there arose a great storme of wynde, and the waues dasshed into the shippe, so that it was nowe full. 38And he was in the sterne a slepe on a pelowe. And they awaked hym, and sayde vnto hym: Maister, carest thou not that we peryshe? 39And he arose, and rebuked the wynde, and saide vnto the sea, peace and be styll. And the wynde ceassed, & there folowed a great calme. 40And he sayde vnto them: why are ye so fearefull? Howe is it, that ye haue no fayth? 41And they feared exceadyngly, and sayde one to another: Who is this? For both wynde and sea obey hym.