The Parable of the Sower
1Again 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. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
“ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some 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. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21He 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? 22For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
撒種的比喻
1耶穌又開始在湖邊教導，周圍聚集了許多人，耶穌只好上到湖邊的船上坐下，眾人都站在岸上。 2耶穌用比喻教導他們許多事，在教導中祂說： 3「聽著！有一個農夫出去撒種。 4撒種的時候，有些種子落在路旁，被飛鳥吃掉了； 5有些落在石頭地上，因為泥土不深，種子很快就發芽了， 6然而因為沒有根，被太陽一曬就枯萎了； 7有些落在荊棘叢中，荊棘長起來便把幼苗擠住了，以致不能結出果實； 8有些落在沃土裡，就發芽生長，結出果實，收成多達三十倍、六十倍、一百倍！」 9然後祂說：「有耳可聽的，都應當聽。」
10當耶穌獨自一人的時候，十二使徒和追隨祂的人來請教比喻的意思。 11耶穌說：「上帝國的奧祕只讓你們知道，對於外人，我全部用比喻， 12使他們『看了又看，卻不領悟；聽了又聽，卻不明白，免得他們回心轉意，得到赦免。』4·12 以賽亞書6·9、10。」
13耶穌又對他們說：「你們不明白這個比喻，又怎能明白其他比喻呢？ 14農夫撒的是上帝的道。 15種子落在路旁，是指人聽了道，撒旦立刻過來奪去了撒在他們心裡的道。 16種子落在石頭地上，是指人聽了道後，立刻歡喜地接受了， 17但他們心裡沒有根基，不過是暫時接受，一旦為道遭受患難或迫害，就立刻放棄了。 18種子落在荊棘叢中，是指人雖然聽過道， 19但生活的憂慮、錢財的迷惑和其他慾望紛紛進來把道擠住了，以致不能結出果實。 20種子落在沃土裡，是指人聽了道，領受了，又結出果實，收成多達三十倍、六十倍、甚至一百倍。」
燈的比喻
21耶穌繼續說：「人會把燈拿來放在斗底下或床底下嗎？當然不會，他一定會把它放在燈臺上。 22因為隱藏的事無不顯露出來，掩蓋的事終會被人知道。 23有耳可聽的，就應當聽。」 24耶穌又說：「要好好思想你們所聽到的，你們用什麼量器量給人，就用什麼量器量給你們，甚至要多給你們。 25因為凡有的，還要給他更多；凡沒有的，連他僅有的也要奪去！」
種子生長的比喻
26祂又說：「上帝的國就像一個人在地上撒種。 27他日出而作，日落而息。種子就在他不知不覺中漸漸發芽長大。 28大地會使種子生長，先發苗後吐穗，最終結出飽滿的籽粒。 29莊稼成熟後，他就拿起鐮刀來收割，因為收成的時候到了。」
芥菜種的比喻
30耶穌說：「我們拿什麼比作上帝的國呢？用什麼比喻來解釋呢？ 31上帝的國就像一粒芥菜種。它是世上種子中最小的， 32但種在地裡，卻能長得比各樣蔬菜都大，有粗大的枝條，可以讓飛鳥在它的樹蔭中棲息。」
33耶穌用了許多類似的比喻，按照眾人所能領悟的給他們講道。 34祂總是用比喻對他們講論，只有單獨和門徒在一起的時候，才把一切解釋清楚。
平息風浪
35那天晚上，耶穌對門徒說：「我們渡到對岸去吧。」 36他們就離開眾人，上了耶穌乘坐的船，帶祂一起去湖對岸，還有其他船隻跟著去。 37忽然，湖面上狂風大作，波浪撞擊船身，船內幾乎灌滿了水。 38耶穌卻還在船尾枕著枕頭睡覺。門徒叫醒了祂，說：「老師，我們快淹死了，你怎麼不管呢？」
39耶穌起來斥責狂風，對著湖面說：「靜下來！停下來！」頓時風平浪靜了。 40祂對門徒說：「你們為什麼這樣害怕呢？你們還是沒有信心嗎？」
41他們極其害怕，彼此議論說：「祂到底是誰？連風浪都聽祂的！」
