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

1THEN the same day Jesus going out from the house, sat down near the sea. 2And vast multitudes were gathered together unto him, insomuch that he entered into a vessel to be seated; and all the multitude stood on the beach.

3And he spake unto them many things in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow: 4and as he was sowing, some seeds fell indeed by the road-side; and the birds came and ate them up: 5and other seed fell on a rocky soil, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6and when the sun arose, it was scorched up; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7And other seeds fell among the thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them: 8but others fell on good ground, and produced fruit, some an hundred, some sixty, and some thirty. 9He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)

10And when his disciples came, they said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11And he answered and said unto them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whosoever hath, more shall be given to him, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, even that he hath shall be taken from him. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables: that seeing, they may not see; and hearing, they may not hear nor understand.

14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, With the hearing ye shall hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and in no wise perceive:

15for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with the eves, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

16But blessed are your eyes; for ye see: and your ears; for ye hear. 17For verily I tell you, That many prophets and righteous men have greatly desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19When any person heareth the word of the kingdom, and doth not understand it, the wicked one cometh, and snatcheth away what was sown on his heart: such is he who is the sown by the road-side. 20But the sown on the rocky soil, is he who having heard the word, and instantly with joy receiving it, 21hath not really root in himself, but is merely temporary: and when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word?s sake, immediately he is stumbled. 22But the sown among the thorns, is he who heareth the word, and the anxiety about this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choketh the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 23But the sown upon the good ground, is he who heareth the word, and understandeth it; who truly beareth fruit, and produceth, one an hundred fold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

The Parable of the Weeds

24Another parable proposed he to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field: 25and while the men were asleep, his enemy came and sowed zizane among the wheat, and departed. 26But when the blade was shot up, and produced fruit, then appeared also the zizane. 27The servants of the proprietor came, and said to him, Master, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it the zizane? 28He saith unto them, Some man, an enemy, hath done this. Then the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go and weed them out? 29he replied, No; lest perhaps in weeding out the zizane, we root up the wheat with them. 30Let them both grow together till the harvest: and at the harvest-time I will say to the reapers, Gather out first the zizane, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)

31Another parable he proposed to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field: 32which indeed is among the smallest of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is among the greatest of herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make their nests in the branches of it.

The Parable of the Leaven
(Luke 13:20–21)

33Another parable spake he to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and covered up in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened.

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

34All these things spake Jesus in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable he spake not to them:

35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will bring forth things hid from the foundation of the world.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36Then Jesus dismissing the multitudes, went into a house; and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the zizane of the field. 37And he replying said to them, He that sowed the good seed, is the Son of man; 38the field is the world: and the good seed are those who are the children of the kingdom; but the zizane are the children of the wicked one; 39the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40As therefore the zizane are gathered, and burned in the fire; just so shall it be at the end of this world. 41The Son of man shall send out his angels, and shall gather together out of his kingdom all things offensive, and those who practise iniquity; 42and will cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

44Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a field: which when a man findeth, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth away and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchantman in search of beautiful pearls: 46who, having discovered one of vast price, went away and sold all that he possessed, and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and colleting fish of every kind: 48which, when it was full, they drew to the beach, and sitting down, selected the good into baskets, but cast those of a bad kind away. 49Just so shall it be at the end of this world: the angels shall go forth, and shall separate the wicked from amidst the just, 50and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? 52They say unto him, Yes, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man, the master of a family, who bringeth out of his storehouse things new and old.

The Rejection at Nazareth
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)

53And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished there parables, he departed thence. 54And coming into his own country, taught them in their synagogues, so that they were exceedingly struck, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these miracles? 55Is not this the carpenter?s son? is not his mother called Mary? his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56and his sisters, are they not all among us? whence then hath he all these things? 57And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not disrespected, except in his own country, and in his own family. 58And he did not there many miracles because of their unbelief.