The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1 UEB Again he began to teach beside the sea, and a large crowd gathered around him. He stepped into a boat that was on the sea, and he sat down in it. The whole crowd was on the shore beside the sea. 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 UEB He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching, this is what he said to them. BSB BSB: And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3 UEB "Listen, the farmer went out to sow his seed. BSB BSB: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 UEB As he sowed, some seed fell on the road, and the birds came and devoured it. BSB BSB: And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 UEB Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. Immediately it sprang up, because it did not have deep soil. BSB BSB: Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 UEB But when the sun rose, the plants were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up. BSB BSB: But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 UEB Other seed fell among the thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up and choked it, and it did not produce a crop. BSB BSB: Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 UEB Other seed fell into good soil and it produced a crop growing up and increasing thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times." 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 UEB Then he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!" 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 UEB When Jesus was alone, those who were close to him and with the twelve 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 UEB He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside everything is 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 UEB so that when they look, yes they look, but do not see, and so that when they hear, yes they hear, but do not understand, or else they would turn 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 UEB Then he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the 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 UEB The farmer who sows his seed is the one who sows the word. BSB BSB: The farmer sows the word.
15 UEB These are the ones that fall beside the road, where the word was sown, but when they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 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 UEB These are the ones that are sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive 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 UEB They have no root in themselves, but endure for a short time. Then tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, and immediately they stumble. 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 UEB The others are the ones that were sown among the thorns. They hear the word, BSB BSB: Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 UEB but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things enter in and choke the word, and it does not produce a crop. 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 UEB Then those that were sown in the good soil are the ones who hear the word and receive it, and they produce crops—thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown." 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 UEB Jesus said to them, "Do you bring a lamp inside the house to put it under a basket, or under the bed? You bring it in and you put it on a lampstand. 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 UEB For nothing is hidden that will not be known, and nothing is secret that will not come out into the open. BSB BSB: For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 UEB If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" BSB BSB: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 UEB He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear, for the measure you use will be measured to you, and more will be added to 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 UEB Because whoever has, to him will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken." 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 UEB He also said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who sows his seed on the ground. BSB BSB: Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 UEB He sleeps at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. BSB BSB: Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28 UEB The earth bears grain by itself: First the blade, then the ear, then the mature grain in the ear. BSB BSB: All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 UEB When the crop is ripe, he immediately sends in the sickle because the harvest has come." 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 UEB Again he said, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? BSB BSB: Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31 UEB It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. BSB BSB: It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
32 UEB Yet, when it is sown, it grows and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and it forms large branches, so that the birds of heaven can make their nests in its 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 UEB With many parables like this he spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to understand, BSB BSB: With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 UEB and he did not speak to them without a parable. But when he was alone, he explained everything to his own disciples. 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 UEB On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." BSB BSB: When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
37 UEB Just then a violent windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was almost 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 UEB But Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him up, saying, "Teacher, do you not care 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 UEB He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a great 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 UEB Then he said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith?" BSB BSB: “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41 UEB They were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, because even the wind and the sea obey him?" BSB BSB: Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”