| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore. | 1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. |
| 2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, | 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: |
| 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. | 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. |
| 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. | 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. |
| 5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. | 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. |
| 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. | 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. |
| 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop. | 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. |
| 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.” | 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." |
| 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” | 9Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." |
| 10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable. | 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. |
| 11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, | 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables |
| 12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’ ” | 12so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" |
| 13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? | 13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? |
| 14The farmer sows the word. | 14The farmer sows the word. |
| 15Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. | 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. |
| 16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. | 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. |
| 17But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. | 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. |
| 18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, | 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; |
| 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. | 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. |
| 20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.” | 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown." |
| 21Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand? | 21He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? |
| 22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. | 22For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. |
| 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” | 23If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear." |
| 24He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you. | 24"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. |
| 25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” | 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." |
| 26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. | 26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. |
| 27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. | 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. |
| 28All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. | 28All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. |
| 29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.” | 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." |
| 30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? | 30Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? |
| 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. | 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. |
| 32But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.” | 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." |
| 33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. | 33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. |
| 34He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples. | 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. |
| 35When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” | 35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." |
| 36After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him. | 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. |
| 37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. | 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. |
| 38But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” | 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" |
| 39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. | 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. |
| 40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” | 40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" |
| 41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” | 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" |
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