The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1 UDB Another time Jesus began to teach people alongside the Sea of Galilee. As he was teaching, a very large crowd gathered around him. He got into a boat and pushed out onto the water. Then he sat down in the boat so that he could speak to the crowd better. At the same time, the crowd was on the shore close to the water. BSB BSB: Once 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.
2 UDB Then he taught them many parables. While he was teaching them, he told them this: BSB BSB: And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3 UDB "Listen to this: A man went out to his field to sow some seeds. BSB BSB: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 UDB As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. Then some birds came and ate those seeds. BSB BSB: And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 UDB Other seeds fell on ground where there was not much soil on top of the rock. Very soon the seeds sprouted because the sun warmed the moist soil quickly where it was not deep. BSB BSB: Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 UDB But after the sun shone on those young plants, they became scorched. Then they withered because they did not have deep roots. BSB BSB: But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 UDB As he sowed, other seeds fell on ground that contained roots of thorny plants. The seeds grew, but the thorny plants also grew up and crowded out the good plants. So the plants produced no grain. BSB BSB: Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 UDB But as he sowed, other seeds fell on good soil. As a result, they sprouted, they grew well, and then they produced plenty of grain. Some plants bore thirty times as much as the seed that the man had planted. Some bore sixty times as much. Some bore one hundred times as much." BSB BSB: Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9 UDB Then Jesus said, "If you want to understand this, you should consider carefully what I have just said." BSB BSB: Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables (Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)
10 UDB Later, when only the twelve disciples and other close followers were with him, they asked him about the parables. BSB BSB: As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11 UDB He said to them, "To you I will explain the message about how God reveals himself as king, but to the others I will speak in parables. BSB BSB: He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
12 UDB 'When they see what I am doing, they will not learn. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. If they learned or understood, they would turn to God, and God would forgive them.'" BSB BSB: so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
The Parable of the Sower Explained (Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)
13 UDB He also said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand when I teach you other parables? BSB BSB: Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 UDB In the parable that I told you, the man who sows seeds represents someone who teaches God's message to others. BSB BSB: The farmer sows the word.
15 UDB Some people are like the path where some of the seeds fell. When they hear God's message, Satan comes at once and causes them to forget what they have heard. BSB BSB: Some 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.
16 UDB Some people are like the ground where the soil was not very deep over the rock. When they hear God's message, they immediately accept it with joy. BSB BSB: Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
17 UDB But, because the message does not grow deep, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When others treat them badly or cause them to suffer because they believe God's message, those people who are suffering soon stop believing God's message. BSB BSB: But 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.
18 UDB Some people are like the soil that has thorny weeds in it. Those people hear God's message, BSB BSB: Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 UDB but they desire to be rich and they want to own many other things. So they only worry about what they have, they forget God's message, and they do not do the things that God wants them to do. BSB BSB: but 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.
20 UDB But some people are like the good soil. They hear God's message, they accept it and believe it, and they do the things that God wants them to do. They are like the good plants that produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred grains." BSB BSB: Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
The Lesson of the Lamp (Luke 8:16–18)
21 UDB He told them another parable: "People certainly do not light an oil lamp and then bring it in the house in order to put something over it to cover its light. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so that the light will shine. BSB BSB: Jesus 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?
22 UDB Similarly, things that were hidden—one day everyone will know them, and the things that have happened in secret—one day everyone will see them in full light. BSB BSB: For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 UDB If you want to understand this, you should consider carefully what you have just heard. BSB BSB: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 UDB "Consider carefully what you hear me say to you. For whatever size container you use, it will be filled for you. BSB BSB: He 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.
25 UDB For if a person has some understanding, he will receive even more. But if a person does not have understanding, even what little he has, he will lose." BSB BSB: For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Seed Growing Secretly 26 UDB Jesus also said, "When God begins to show himself as king, it is like a man who has scattered seed on the ground. BSB BSB: Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 UDB Afterwards he slept each night and rose up each day without worrying about the seeds. During that time the seeds sprouted and grew in a way that he did not understand. BSB BSB: Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28 UDB The ground produced the crop on its own. First the stalks appeared. Then the heads appeared. Then the full kernels in the heads appeared. BSB BSB: All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 UDB As soon as the grain was ripe, he sent people to harvest it because it was time to harvest the grain." BSB BSB: And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)
30 UDB Jesus told them another parable. He said, "When God begins to show himself as king, what is it like? What parable can I use to describe it? BSB BSB: Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31 UDB It is like mustard seeds. You know what happens to mustard seeds when we plant them. Though mustard seeds are among the smallest of seeds, they become large plants. BSB BSB: It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
32 UDB After they are planted, they grow up and become larger than the other garden plants. They put out big branches so that birds are able to make nests in their shade." BSB BSB: But 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.”
33 UDB Jesus used many parables when he talked to the people about God's message. If they were able to understand some, he kept telling them more. BSB BSB: With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 UDB He always used parables when he spoke to them. But he explained all the parables to his own disciples when he was alone with them. BSB BSB: He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
Jesus Calms the Storm (Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)
35 UDB On that same day, when the sun was setting, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." BSB BSB: When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
37 UDB A strong wind came up and the waves started coming into the boat! The boat was soon nearly full of water! BSB BSB: Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
38 UDB Jesus was in the back part of the boat. He was sleeping with his head on a cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher! Are you not concerned that we are about to die?" BSB BSB: But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
39 UDB So Jesus got up and rebuked the wind, and he spoke to the sea, "Be quiet! Be still!" The wind stopped blowing and then the sea became very calm. BSB BSB: Then 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.
40 UDB He said to the disciples, "Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?" BSB BSB: “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41 UDB They were terrified. They said to one another, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" BSB BSB: Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”