Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
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He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge.
2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
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He taught by using stories, many stories.
3 "Listen! Behold, the farmer went forth to sow,
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"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed.
4 and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
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As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.
5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
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Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots,
6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
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so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.
7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
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Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.
8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much."
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Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.
9 He said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
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"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
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When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories.
11 He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
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He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom - you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.
12 that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.'"
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These are people - Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."
13 He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?
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He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.
14 The farmer sows the word.
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"The farmer plants the Word.
15 These are the ones by the road, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Hasatan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
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Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16 These in like manner are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
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"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm.
17 They have no root in themselves, but endure for a while, then, when oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
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But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,
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"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news
19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
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but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
20 These are those who were sown on the good ground: such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."
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"But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."
21 He said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it put on a menorah?
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Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantel?
22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.
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We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open.
23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
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"Are you listening to this? Really listening?
24 He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.
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"Listen carefully to what I am saying - and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way.
25 For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has."
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Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."
26 He said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the eretz,
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Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man
27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn't know how.
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who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows - he has no idea how it happens.
28 For the eretz bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
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The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."
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When the grain is fully formed, he reaps - harvest time!
30 He said, "How will we liken the kingdom of God? Or by what parable will we compare it?
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"How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the eretz, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the eretz,
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It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go,
32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."
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yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it."
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
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With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity.
34 Without a parable he didn't speak to them; but privately to his own talmidim he explained all things.
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He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side."
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Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side."
36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.
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They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along.
37 There arose a great wind storm, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
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A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it.
38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are dying?"
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And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Shalom! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
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Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.
40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?"
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Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"
41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
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They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.