4Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.G2532G756G3825G1321G3844G2281G2532G4863G4314G846G4183G3793G5620G846G1684G1519G4143G2521G1722G2281G2532G3956G3793G2258G4314G2281G1909G10932He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:G2532G1321G846G4183G1722G3850G2532G3004G846G1722G846G13223"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.G191G2400G1831G4687G46874As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.G2532G1096G1722G4687G3739G3303G4098G3844G3598G2532G4071G3772G2064G2532G2719G846G27195Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.G1161G243G4098G1909G4075G3699G2192G3756G4183G1093G2532G2112G1816G1223G2192G3361G899G10936But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.G1161G393G2246G393G2739G2532G1223G2192G3361G4491G35837Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.G2532G243G4098G1519G173G2532G173G305G2532G4846G846G2532G1325G3756G25908Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."G2532G243G4098G1519G2570G1093G2532G1325G2590G305G2532G837G2532G5342G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G15409Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."G2532G3004G846G2192G3775G191G19110When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.G1161G3753G1096G2651G4012G846G4862G1427G2065G846G385011He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parablesG2532G3004G846G5213G1325G1097G3466G932G2316G1161G1565G1854G3956G1096G1722G385012so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"G2443G991G991G2532G3361G1492G2532G191G191G2532G3361G4920G3379G1994G2532G265G863G84613Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?G2532G3004G846G1492G3756G5026G3850G2532G4459G1097G3956G385014The farmer sows the word.G4687G4687G305615Some people are like seed 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.G1161G3778G1526G3844G3598G3699G3056G4687G2532G3752G191G4567G2064G2112G2532G142G3056G4687G1722G846G258816Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.G2532G3778G1526G3668G4687G1909G4075G3739G3752G191G3056G2112G2983G846G3326G547917But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.G2532G2192G3756G4491G1722G1438G235G1526G4340G1534G2347G2228G1375G1096G1223G3056G2112G462418Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;G2532G3778G1526G1526G4687G1519G173G3778G191G305619but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.G2532G3308G5127G165G2532G539G4149G2532G1939G4012G3062G1531G4846G3056G2532G1096G17520Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."G2532G3778G1526G4687G1909G2570G1093G3748G191G3056G2532G3858G2532G2592G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G154021He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?G2532G3004G846G3385G3088G2064G2443G5087G5259G3426G2228G5259G2825G3756G2443G2007G1909G308722For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.G1063G2076G3756G2927G5100G3739G5319G3362G5319G3761G1096G614G235G2443G2064G1519G531823If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."G1536G2192G3775G191G19124"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more.G2532G3004G846G991G5101G191G1722G3739G3358G3354G3354G5213G2532G5213G191G436925Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."G1063G302G3739G2192G846G1325G2532G3739G2192G3756G575G846G142G2532G3739G219226He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.G2532G3004G3779G2076G932G2316G5613G1437G444G906G4703G1909G109327Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.G2532G2518G2532G1453G3571G2532G2250G2532G4703G985G2532G3373G846G1492G3756G561328All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.G1063G1093G2592G844G4412G5528G1534G4719G1534G4134G4621G1722G471929As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."G1161G3752G2590G3860G2112G649G1407G3754G2326G393630Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?G2532G3004G5101G3666G932G2316G2228G1722G4169G3850G3846G84631It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.G5613G2848G4615G3739G3752G4687G1909G1093G3398G3956G4690G2076G1909G109332Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."G2532G3752G4687G305G2532G1096G3187G3956G3001G2532G4160G3173G2798G5620G4071G3772G1410G2681G5259G4639G84633With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.G2532G4183G5108G3850G2980G3056G846G2531G1410G19134He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.G1161G5565G3850G2980G3756G846G1161G2398G2596G1956G3956G846G310135That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."G2532G1722G1565G2250G3798G1096G3004G846G1330G1519G400836Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.G2532G863G3793G3880G846G5613G2258G1722G4143G1161G2258G2532G3326G846G243G414237A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.G2532G1096G3173G2978G417G1161G2949G1911G1519G4143G5620G846G1072G2235G107238Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"G2532G846G2258G1909G4403G2518G1909G4344G2532G1326G846G2532G3004G846G1320G3199G4671G3756G3754G62239He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.G2532G1326G2008G417G2532G2036G2281G4623G5392G2532G417G2869G2532G1096G3173G105540He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"G2532G2036G846G5101G2075G3779G1169G4459G2192G3756G410241They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"G2532G5399G5401G3173G2532G3004G240G4314G240G5101G686G2076G3778G3754G2532G417G2532G2281G5219G846