1Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat and sat in it on the water, and the whole crowd was on the land by the sea.
2He taught them many things with parables. In his teaching he said to them,
3"Listen. A farmer went out to sow his seed."
4"As he sowed, some seed fell by the path, and the birds of the air came and ate it up."
5"Some fell on stony ground, where there was not much soil. It came up quickly, because the soil was not deep."
6"But when the sun rose, the young plants were burned. They had no root, so they dried up and died."
7"Some fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit."
8"But other seed fell on good ground. It came up and grew and gave fruit. Some gave thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred."
9And he said to them, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
10When he was alone, those who were around him, along with the twelve, asked him about the parable.
11He said to them, "You have been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But to those outside, everything comes in parables."
12"So that seeing they may see and not understand, and hearing they may hear and not take it in. Otherwise they might turn back, and their sins would be forgiven them."
13And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?"
14"The farmer sows the word."
15"Some people are like the ground by the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they have heard it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts."
16"Others are like the seed sown on stony ground. When they hear the word, they receive it at once with gladness."
17"But they have no root in themselves, so they last only a short time. Later, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."
18"Others are like the seed sown among thorns. They are the ones who hear the word,"
19"but the worries of this world, and the false promises of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, so that it gives no fruit."
20"And others are like the seed sown on good ground. They hear the word and receive it, and they give fruit: some thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred."
21He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed? Is it not brought in to be set on a lampstand?"
22"For nothing is hidden that will not be shown, and nothing is kept secret except to be brought out into the open."
23"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24And he said to them, "Be careful what you hear. The measure you use will be used to measure for you. And to you who hear, more will be given."
25"For whoever has will be given more. And whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken from him."
26And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this. A man throws seed on the ground."
27"He sleeps at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows, and he does not know how."
28"The earth gives fruit by itself: first the green shoot, then the ear, and after that the full grain in the ear."
29"But when the fruit is ready, at once he takes the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
30And he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like? What picture shall we use for it?"
31"It is like a grain of mustard seed. When it is sown in the ground, it is smaller than all the seeds on earth."
32"But once it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants. It puts out great branches, so that the birds of the air can rest in its shade."
33He spoke the word to them with many parables like these, as much as they were able to hear.
34He did not speak to them without a parable. But when they were alone, he explained everything to his disciples.
35That same day, when evening came, he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."
36So they sent the crowd away and took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other little boats were with him too.
37A great windstorm came up, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already full of water.
38Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Master, do you not care that we are going to die?"
39He got up and spoke sharply to the wind, and he said to the sea, "Peace. Be still." The wind stopped, and everything was very calm.
40They were very much afraid, and said to one another, "What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him."