The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1 UEB On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. BSB BSB: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2 UEB A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 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 UEB Then Jesus said many things to them in parables. He said, "Behold, a farmer went out to sow seed. BSB BSB: And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 UEB As he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, 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 UEB Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil. Immediately they sprang up, because the soil had no depth. 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 had risen, they were scorched because they had no root, and they withered away. BSB BSB: But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 UEB Other seeds fell among the thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up and choked them. BSB BSB: Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.
8 UEB Other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. BSB BSB: Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
9 UEB He who has ears, let him listen." 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 UEB The disciples came and said to Jesus, "Why do you talk to the crowd in parables?" BSB BSB: Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
11 UEB Jesus answered and said to them, "You have been given the privilege of understanding mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, 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 UEB For whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will 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 UEB This is why I talk to them in parables: Though they are seeing, they do not see; and though they are hearing, they do not hear, or 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 UEB To them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, that which says, 'While hearing you will hear, but you will in no way understand; while seeing you will see, but you will in no way perceive. 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 UEB For this people's heart has become dull, and they are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so they should not see with their eyes, or hear with their ears, or understand with their hearts, so they would turn again, and I would 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 UEB But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. BSB BSB: But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 UEB Truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things that you see, and did not see them. They desired to hear the things that you 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 UEB Listen then to the parable of the farmer who sowed his seed. BSB BSB: Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
19 UEB When anyone hears the word of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the seed that was sown beside the road. 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 UEB What was sown on rocky ground is the person 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 UEB yet he has no root in himself and he endures for a while. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he quickly falls away. 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 UEB What was sown among the thorn plants, this is the person who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness 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 UEB What was sown on the good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands it. He bears fruit and makes a crop, some yielding one hundred times as much as was planted, some sixty, and some thirty times as much." 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 UEB But while people slept, his enemy came and also sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. BSB BSB: But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
26 UEB When the blades sprouted and then produced their crop, then the weeds appeared also. BSB BSB: When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
27 UEB The servants of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How does it now have weeds?' 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 UEB He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'So do you want us to go and pull them out?' BSB BSB: ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 UEB The landowner said, 'No. Because while you are pulling out the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. BSB BSB: ‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.
30 UEB Let both grow together until the harvest. At the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First pull out the weeds and tie them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'" 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 UEB Then Jesus presented another parable to them. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a 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 UEB This seed is indeed the smallest of all seeds. But when it has grown, it is greater than the garden plants. It becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest 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 UEB Jesus then told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen." 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 UEB All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; and he said nothing to them without a parable. BSB BSB: Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
35 UEB This was in order that what had been said through the prophet might come true, when he said, "I will open my mouth in parables. I will say things that were hidden from the foundation of the world." 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 UEB Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds 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 UEB Jesus answered and said, "He who 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 UEB The field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds 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 UEB and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers 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 UEB Therefore, as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so will it be at the end 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 UEB The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all the things that cause sin and those who commit iniquity. 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 UEB They will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. BSB BSB: And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 UEB Then will the righteous people shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him listen. 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 UEB The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it and hid it. In his joy he goes, sells everything he possesses, 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 UEB Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a merchant looking for valuable pearls. BSB BSB: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46 UEB When he found one pearl of very great value, he went and sold everything that he possessed 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 UEB Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea, and that gathered creatures 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 UEB When it was filled, the fishermen drew it up on the beach. Then they sat down and gathered the good things into containers, but the worthless things they threw away. 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 UEB It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous. BSB BSB: So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 UEB They will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. BSB BSB: and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 UEB Have you understood all these things?" The disciples said to him, "Yes." BSB BSB: Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.
52 UEB Then Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is the owner of a house, who draws out old and new things from his treasure." 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 UEB Then it came about that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from that place. BSB BSB: When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.
54 UEB Then Jesus entered his own region and taught the people in their synagogue. The result was that they were astonished and said, "Where does this man get his wisdom and these miracles from? 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.
56 UEB Are not all his sisters with us? Where did he get all these things?" BSB BSB: Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57 UEB They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own family." 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 UEB He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. BSB BSB: And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.