Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
26 Then Jesus said, "This is what God's kingdom is like. It's as though someone scatters seed on the ground,
26
He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
27 then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn't know how.
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and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.
28 The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain.
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The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
29 Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it's harvesttime."
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But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."
30 He continued, "What's a good image for God's kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it?
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He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?
31 Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it's the smallest of all the seeds on the earth;
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It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;
32 but when it's planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade."
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yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
33 With many such parables he continued to give them the word, as much as they were able to hear.
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With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it;
34 He spoke to them only in parables, then explained everything to his disciples when he was alone with them.
34
he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.