1 And again He {Christos, Teaching Lord} started teaching by the sea, and an exceedingly large crowd {ochlos: assembled throng} drew near to Him; so He stepped into a boat and sat in it on the water, while the whole crowd stood on the land beside the sea.
2 And He{Iesous, Divine Teacher} taught them many things by means of parables{parabolais: illustrative stories}; and as He taught, He said to them,
3 Listen {akouete: urgent attention}! Look, the sower {speiron: habitual seed-scatterer} went out to scatter seed.
4 And as he was sowing {speirein: purposeful seed work}, some seed fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured {katephagen: ate completely} it.
5 And another {allo: a separate portion} fell on the rocky ground {petrodes: stone-covered surface}, where there was not much soil; it sprang up at once because the earth was not deep.
6 And when the sun {helios: intense daylight} rose, it was scorched, and since it lacked a root {rhizan: life-sustaining base}, it withered.
7 And other seed {sperma: sowing piece} fell among the thorns; the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no fruit {karpos: expected produce}.
8 And other seed fell into the good ground and kept giving fruit {karpon: harvest yield}, growing up and increasing; and it bore—some thirtyfold {triakonta: specific return}, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.
9 And He {Iesous, Insightful Teacher} was saying, “Whoever has ears {ota: physical hearing organs} to hear, let him hear.”
10 And when He {Iesous, Revealing Teacher} was in private, those around Him together with the twelve questioned Him about the parables {parabolas: figurative lessons}.
11 And He {Iesous, Revealing Teacher} said to them, "To you the mystery {mysterion: hidden divine truth} of the kingdom of God has been granted; but for those on the outside, everything comes through parables."
12 So that they may look and yet not perceive {idosin: grasp mentally}, and may listen and yet not understand, lest they should turn back and be forgiven {aphethe: guilt released}.
13 Jesus {Iesous, Rabbinic Teacher} says to them, “If you do not know this parable {parabolen: symbolic story}, how will you know all the parables?”
14 The sower {speiron: seed scatterer} sows {speirei: ongoing action} the word.
15 But these are the ones beside the path where the word {logos: proclaimed message} is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan {Satanas: Malicious Tempter} comes and takes away the word that has been sown in them.
16 And these likewise are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word {logos: divine proclamation}, at once receive it with joy {chara: inner gladness}.
17 And they have no root in themselves, but they endure only for a time; then, when affliction {thlipseos: distressing pressure} or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately stumble {skandalizontai: fall into offense}.
18 And others are the ones sown {speiromenoi: scattered seed} among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard {akousantes: received the message} the word.
19 And the cares {merimnai: anxious concerns} of this age, the deceit of wealth, and the desires {epithumiai: strong cravings} for other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 And these are those who have been sown upon the good ground {ge: receptive soil}, who hear the word {logos: spoken message}, receive it, and bear fruit—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
21 And He {Iesous, Light Giver} was saying to them, “Is a lamp brought in so that it may be placed under a measuring basket {modion: grain container} or under the bed, and not to be set upon the lampstand?”
22 For nothing is hidden {krupton: concealed thing} except for it to be revealed, and nothing has been kept secret except for it to come into the open {phaneron: clearly seen}.
23 If anyone has ears {ota: capacities for understanding} to hear {akouein: intentional reception}, let him hear.
24 And He {Iesous, Patient Instructor} was saying to them, “Be mindful of what you hear. With the measure {metron: evaluative standard} you use, it will be measured to you, and it will be added to you.”
25 For whoever has, it will be supplied {dothesetai: further given} to him; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away {arthesetai: removed completely} from him.
26 And He was saying, “This is how the kingdom {basileia: Divine Reign} of God {Theos, Sovereign Ruler} is: like a man who casts seed onto the ground.”
27 And he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts {blasta: initial emergence} and grows, while he does not know {oiden: conscious awareness} how.
28 The earth by itself brings forth fruit: first the blade {chorton: young shoot}, then the ear, and then the full grain {siton: mature wheat} in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest {therismos: time of reaping} has arrived {paresteken: stands ready}.
30 And He {Iesous, Parable Teacher} was saying, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God {Theos, Supreme King}, and with what parable shall we describe it?”
31 It is like a mustard seed {kokko: mustard kernel}, which, when it is sown on the earth {ges: cultivated soil}, is smaller than all the seeds on the earth.
32 And when it is sown, it grows up and surpasses all the garden plants {lachanon: cultivated vegetables}, producing large branches, so that the birds of heaven are able to nest under its shadow {skia: protective covering}.
33 And He {Iesous, Parable Teacher} presented the word to them through many parables like these, according to what they were able {edynanto: had the capacity} to hear.
34 Aside from a parable He {Iesous, Divine Teacher} spoke no word to them; but privately to His own disciples He explained everything {panta: all things comprehensively}.
35 And on that day, when evening {opsias: period after sunset} came, He {Christos, Divine Teacher} said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
36 And leaving the crowd {ochlon: gathered multitude}, they took Him {Iesous, Journeying Lord} along just as He was in the boat; and other boats were with Him.
37 And a great storm {lailaps: violent storm} of wind arose, and the waves {kumata: relentless onslaught} beat into the boat, so that it was already being filled.
38 And He {Iesous, Sovereign over Storms} was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. They awakened Him and said to Him, “Teacher, does it not concern You that we are perishing {apollymetha: facing ruin}?”
39 And having arisen, He {Iesous, Chaos Conqueror} rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be muzzled!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm {galene: extraordinary stillness}.
40 And He {Iesous, Faith Instructor} said to them, “Why are you so cowardly {deiloi: overly fearful}? Do you not yet have faith?”
41 And they were seized by great fear {phobon: intense terror}, and they said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him {Iesous, Sovereign Over Creation}?”