24
And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: 5with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
25
6For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
The Parable of the Seed Growing
26 And he said, 7"The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
27
He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; 8he knows not how.
28
The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29
But when the grain is ripe, at once 9he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
3010And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?
31
It is like 11a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,
32
yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
33
12With many such parables he spoke 13the word to them, 14as they were able to hear it.
34
He did not speak to them 15without a parable, but 16privately to his own disciples he 17explained everything.