The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1 DBY And that same day Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea. BSB BSB: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2 DBY And great crowds were gathered together to him, so that going on board ship himself he sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. BSB BSB: Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 DBY And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow: BSB BSB: And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 DBY and as he sowed, some grains fell along the way, and the birds came and devoured them; BSB BSB: And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 DBY and others fell upon the rocky places where they had not much earth, and immediately they sprang up out of the ground because of not having any depth of earth, BSB BSB: Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 DBY but when the sun rose they were burned up, and because of not having any root were dried up; BSB BSB: But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 DBY and others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them; BSB BSB: Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.
8 DBY and others fell upon the good ground, and produced fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty. BSB BSB: Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
9 DBY He that has ears, let him hear. BSB BSB: He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables (Isaiah 6:1–13; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)
10 DBY And the disciples came up and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? BSB BSB: Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
11 DBY And he answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given; BSB BSB: He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 DBY for whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be caused to be in abundance; but he who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him. BSB BSB: Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13 DBY For this cause I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor understand; BSB BSB: This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
14 DBY and in them is filled up the prophecy of Esaias, which says, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and beholding ye shall behold and not see; BSB BSB: In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 DBY for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they have heard heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes as asleep, lest they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. BSB BSB: For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 DBY But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear; BSB BSB: But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 DBY for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye behold and did not see them , and to hear the things which ye hear and did not hear them . BSB BSB: For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained (Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)
18 DBY Ye, therefore, hear the parable of the sower. BSB BSB: Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
19 DBY From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it , the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart: this is he that is sown by the wayside. BSB BSB: When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 DBY But he that is sown on the rocky places — this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, BSB BSB: The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 DBY but has no root in himself, but is for a time only; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word, he is immediately offended. BSB BSB: But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22 DBY And he that is sown among the thorns — this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. BSB BSB: The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23 DBY But he that is sown upon the good ground — this is he who hears and understands the word, who bears fruit also, and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty. BSB BSB: But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
The Parable of the Weeds (Ezekiel 17:1–10)
25 DBY but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel amongst the wheat, and went away. BSB BSB: But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
26 DBY But when the blade shot up and produced fruit, then appeared the darnel also. BSB BSB: When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
27 DBY And the bondmen of the householder came up and said to him, Sir, hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whence then has it darnel? BSB BSB: The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 DBY And he said to them, A man that is an enemy has done this. And the bondmen said to him, Wilt thou then that we should go and gather it up ? BSB BSB: ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 DBY But he said, No; lest in gathering the darnel ye should root up the wheat with it. BSB BSB: ‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.
30 DBY Suffer both to grow together unto the harvest, and in time of the harvest I will say to the harvestmen, Gather first the darnel, and bind it into bundles to burn it; but the wheat bring together into my granary. BSB BSB: Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)
31 DBY Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; BSB BSB: He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.
32 DBY which is less indeed than all seeds, but when it is grown is greater than herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches. BSB BSB: Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven (Luke 13:20–21)
33 DBY He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it had been all leavened. BSB BSB: He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables (Psalm 78:1–72)
34 DBY All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them, BSB BSB: Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
35 DBY so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the world's foundation. BSB BSB: So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained (Zephaniah 1:1–6)
36 DBY Then, having dismissed the crowds, he went into the house; and his disciples came to him, saying, Expound to us the parable of the darnel of the field. BSB BSB: Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 DBY But he answering said, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man, BSB BSB: He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 DBY and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one ; BSB BSB: The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
39 DBY and the enemy who has sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is the completion of the age, and the harvestmen are angels. BSB BSB: and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 DBY As then the darnel is gathered and is burned in the fire, thus it shall be in the completion of the age. BSB BSB: As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41 DBY The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offences, and those that practise lawlessness; BSB BSB: The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
42 DBY and they shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. BSB BSB: And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 DBY Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears, let him hear. BSB BSB: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl 44 DBY The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hid in the field, which a man having found has hid, and for the joy of it goes and sells all whatever he has, and buys that field. BSB BSB: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 DBY Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; BSB BSB: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46 DBY and having found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all whatever he had and bought it. BSB BSB: When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net 47 DBY Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a seine which has been cast into the sea, and which has gathered together of every kind, BSB BSB: Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.
48 DBY which, when it has been filled, having drawn up on the shore and sat down, they gathered the good into vessels and cast the worthless out. BSB BSB: When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.
49 DBY Thus shall it be in the completion of the age: the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from the midst of the just, BSB BSB: So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 DBY and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. BSB BSB: and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 DBY Jesus says to them, Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea, Lord . BSB BSB: Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.
52 DBY And he said to them, For this reason every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. BSB BSB: Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
The Rejection at Nazareth (Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)
53 DBY And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables he withdrew thence. BSB BSB: When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.
54 DBY And having come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom and these works of power? BSB BSB: Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.
55 DBY Is not this the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? BSB BSB: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56 DBY And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all these things? BSB BSB: Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57 DBY And they were offended in him. And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, unless in his country and in his house. BSB BSB: And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”
58 DBY And he did not there many works of power, because of their unbelief. BSB BSB: And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.