The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13.1-9Luke 8.4-8)1 Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was out in the water, and the crowd stood on the shore at the water's edge. 2 He used parables to teach them many things, saying to them:
3 “Listen! Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. 4 As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. 6 Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. 7 Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants, and they didn't bear grain. 8 But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants sprouted, grew, and bore grain: some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others one hundred.”
9 And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”
The Purpose of the Parables
(Matthew 13.10-17Luke 8.9Luke 10)10 When Jesus was alone, some of those who had heard him came to him with the twelve disciples and asked him to explain the parables. 11 “You have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God,” Jesus answered. “But the others, who are on the outside, hear all things by means of parables, 12 so that,
‘They may look and look,
yet not see;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand.
For if they did, they would turn to God,
and he would forgive them.’”
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13.18-23Luke 8.11-15)13 Then Jesus asked them, “Don't you understand this parable? How, then, will you ever understand any parable? 14 The sower sows God's message. 15 Some people are like the seeds that fall along the path; as soon as they hear the message, Satan comes and takes it away. 16 Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the message, they receive it gladly. 17 But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. 18 Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, 19 but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and choke the message, and they don't bear fruit. 20 But other people are like seeds sown in good soil. They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred.”
A Lamp under a Bowl
(Luke 8.16-18)21 Jesus continued, “Does anyone ever bring in a lamp and put it under a bowl or under the bed? Isn't it put on the lampstand? 22 Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open, and whatever is covered up will be uncovered. 23 Listen, then, if you have ears!”
24 He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear! The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you—but with even greater severity. 25 Those who have something will be given more, and those who have nothing will have taken away from them even the little they have.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. 27 He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens. 28 The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain. 29 When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13.31Matthew 32Matthew 34Luke 13.18Luke 19)30 “What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? 31 It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. 32 After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”
33 Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. 34 He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.
Jesus Calms a Storm
(Matthew 8.23-27Luke 8.22-25)35 On the evening of that same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd; the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats were there too. 37 Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water. 38 Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?”
39 Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. 40 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? Do you still have no faith?”
41 But they were terribly afraid and began to say to one another, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
1 Un Viņš atkal sāka mācīt pie jūras. Un daudz ļaužu pie Viņa sapulcējās, tā ka Viņš iekāpa laivā un apsēdās. Viņš bija uz jūras, un visi ļaudis stāvēja jūras malā. 2 Un Viņš tiem daudz mācīja līdzībās un Savā mācībā uz tiem sacīja: 3 "Klausaities: raugi, sējējs izgāja sēt. 4 Un notika, sējot cita sēkla krita ceļmalā, un putni nāca un to apēda. 5 Un cita krita uz akmenāju, kur tai nebija daudz zemes, un tā uzdīga tūdaļ, tāpēc ka tai nebija dziļas zemes. 6 Bet, kad saule bija uzlēkusi, tad tā savīta un nokalta, tāpēc ka tai nebija saknes. 7 Un cita krita starp ērkšķiem, un ērkšķi uzauga un to nomāca, un tā nenesa augļus. 8 Un cita krita labā zemē un nesa augļus, kas uzdīga un augtin auga, un cita nesa trīsdesmitkārtīgi, cita sešdesmitkārtīgi un cita simtkārtīgi." 9 Un Viņš sacīja: "Kam ausis dzirdēt, tas lai dzird." 10 Un, kad Viņš bija viens pats, tad tie, kas līdz ar tiem divpadsmit bija pie Viņa, Viņam vaicāja par līdzībām. 11 Un Viņš uz tiem sacīja: "Jums ir dots Dieva valstības noslēpums; bet tiem, kas ārā, viss tas notiek līdzībās, 12 ka tie redzēdami redz un nenomana un dzirdēdami dzird un nesaprot, ka tie neatgriežas un neiegūst piedošanu." 13 Un Viņš uz tiem saka: "Jūs šo līdzību nesaprotat, kā tad jūs sapratīsit visas citas līdzības? 14 Sējējs sēj vārdu. 15 Bet šie ir tie, kas ceļmalā, kur vārds top sēts, pie kuriem, kad tie to ir dzirdējuši, tūdaļ nāk sātans un noņem viņu sirdīs sēto vārdu. 16 Un tāpat tie, kas uz akmenāju sēti, ir tie, kas, vārdu dzirdējuši, tūdaļ to uzņem ar prieku. 17 Bet tiem nav saknes sevī, un tikai kādu laiku tie ir ticīgi. Kad bēdas un vajāšanas uziet vārda dēļ, tad viņi tūdaļ apgrēkojas. 18 Un, kas starp ērkšķiem sēti, ir tie, kas vārdu dzird, 19 un šīs pasaules rūpes un bagātības viltība un citas kārības iemetas un noslāpē vārdu, un tas kļūst neauglīgs. 20 Un labā zemē sētie ir tie, kas vārdu dzird un pieņem un augļus nes, trīsdesmitkārtīgus, sešdesmitkārtīgus, simtkārtīgus." 21 Un Viņš uz tiem sacīja: "Vai sveci iededzina, lai to liktu apakš pūra vai zem gultas? Vai ne tāpēc, lai to liek lukturī? 22 Jo nekas nav apslēpts, kas nenāktu gaismā; un nekas nenotiek slepeni, kas netaptu zināms. 23 Ja kam ausis ir dzirdēt, tas lai dzird." 24 Un Viņš tiem sacīja: "Ievērojiet, ko jūs dzirdat. Ar kādu mēru jūs mērojat, mēros jums un pieliks jums vēl klāt. 25 Jo, kam ir, tam dos; un, kam nav, tam atņems arī to, kas tam ir." 26 Un Viņš sacīja: "Tāpat ir ar Dieva valstību, kā kad kāds cilvēks sēklu iemet zemē 27 un guļ un ceļas, nakti un dienu; un sēkla uzdīgst un uzaug, tā ka viņš pats to nenomana. 28 Zeme pati no sevis nes augļus, papriekš stiebru, tad vārpu, tad briedušus graudus vārpā. 29 Un, kad augļi ienākušies, tad viņš tūdaļ sūta sirpi, jo pļaujamais laiks ir klāt." 30 Un Viņš sacīja: "Kam mēs Dieva valstību pielīdzināsim? Jeb kādā līdzībā mēs to tēlosim? 31 Kā sinepju graudiņš, kas zemē sēts, ir mazākais no visām sēklām virs zemes, 32 un, kad tas ir sēts, tad tas augtin aug un top lielāks par visiem dārza augiem un dabū lielus zarus, tā ka putni apakš debess viņa pavēnī var ligzdas taisīt." 33 Un daudzās tādās līdzībās Viņš uz tiem vārdu runāja, tā ka tie to varēja klausīties. 34 Bet bez līdzībām Viņš uz tiem neko nerunāja; bet Saviem mācekļiem Viņš visu īpaši izskaidroja. 35 Un Viņš tiem saka tanī dienā, vakaram metoties: "Pārcelsimies uz viņu malu." 36 Un, ļaudis atlaiduši, tie Viņu ņēma līdzi, tā ka Viņš laivā bija, un citas laivas bija pie Viņa. 37 Un liela vētra cēlās, un viļņi gāzās laivā, tā ka ūdens jau piepildīja laivu. 38 Un Viņš gulēja stūres galā uz spilvena; un tie Viņu modina un saka Viņam: "Mācītāj, vai Tu nebēdā, ka ejam bojā?" 39 Un uzmodies Viņš apsauca vēju un sacīja uz jūru: "Klusu, mierā!" Un vējš nostājās, un iestājās pilnīgs klusums. 40 Un Viņš uz tiem sacīja: "Kam jūs esat tik bailīgi? Kā jums nav ticības?" 41 Un tie ļoti izbijās un sacīja savā starpā: "Kas Tas tāds, ka pat vējš un jūra Viņam paklausa?"
