The Parable of the
Sower
1 After this, Jesus traveled
about from
one town
and
village to
another,
proclaiming
the good
news of
the
kingdom of
God. The
Twelve
were with
him,
2 and
also some
women who
had been
cured of
evil
spirits
and
diseases:
Mary
(called
Magdalene)
from whom
seven
demons had
come out;
3 Joanna
the wife
of Chuza,
the
manager of
Herod’s
household;
Susanna;
and many
others.
These
women were
helping to
support
them out
of their
own means.
4 While a large crowd was
gathering
and people
were
coming to
Jesus from
town after
town, he
told this
parable:
5 “A
farmer
went out
to sow his
seed. As
he was
scattering
the seed,
some fell
along the
path; it
was
trampled
on, and
the birds
ate it up.
6 Some
fell on
rocky
ground,
and when
it came
up, the
plants
withered
because
they had
no
moisture.
7 Other
seed fell
among
thorns,
which grew
up with it
and choked
the
plants.
8 Still
other seed
fell on
good soil.
It came up
and
yielded a
crop, a
hundred
times more
than was
sown.”
When he said this, he
called
out,
“Whoever
has ears
to hear,
let them
hear.”
9 His disciples asked him
what this
parable
meant.
10 He
said, “The
knowledge
of the
secrets of
the
kingdom of
God has
been given
to you,
but to
others I
speak in
parables,
so that,
“‘though seeing, they may
not see;
though
hearing,
they may
not
understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of
the
parable:
The seed
is the
word of
God.
12 Those
along the
path are
the ones
who hear,
and then
the devil
comes and
takes away
the word
from their
hearts, so
that they
may not
believe
and be
saved.
13 Those
on the
rocky
ground are
the ones
who
receive
the word
with joy
when they
hear it,
but they
have no
root. They
believe
for a
while, but
in the
time of
testing
they fall
away.
14 The
seed that
fell among
thorns
stands for
those who
hear, but
as they go
on their
way they
are choked
by life’s
worries,
riches and
pleasures,
and they
do not
mature.
15 But the
seed on
good soil
stands for
those with
a noble
and good
heart, who
hear the
word,
retain it,
and by
persevering
produce a
crop.
A Lamp on a Stand
16 “No one lights a lamp
and hides
it in a
clay jar
or puts it
under a
bed.
Instead,
they put
it on a
stand, so
that those
who come
in can see
the light.
17 For
there is
nothing
hidden
that will
not be
disclosed,
and
nothing
concealed
that will
not be
known or
brought
out into
the open.
18 Therefore
consider
carefully
how you
listen.
Whoever
has will
be given
more;
whoever
does not
have, even
what they
think they
have will
be taken
from
them.”
Jesus’ Mother and
Brothers
19 Now Jesus’ mother and
brothers
came to
see him,
but they
were not
able to
get near
him
because of
the crowd.
20 Someone
told him,
“Your
mother and
brothers
are
standing
outside,
wanting to
see you.”
21 He replied, “My mother
and
brothers
are those
who hear
God’s word
and put it
into
practice.”
Jesus Calms the
Storm
22 One day Jesus said to
his
disciples,
“Let us go
over to
the other
side of
the lake.”
So they
got into a
boat and
set out.
23 As they
sailed, he
fell
asleep. A
squall
came down
on the
lake, so
that the
boat was
being
swamped,
and they
were in
great
danger.
24 The disciples went and
woke him,
saying,
“Master,
Master,
we’re
going to
drown!”
He got up and rebuked the
wind and
the raging
waters;
the storm
subsided,
and all
was calm.
25 “Where
is your
faith?” he
asked his
disciples.
In fear and amazement they
asked one
another,
“Who is
this? He
commands
even the
winds and
the water,
and they
obey him.”
Jesus Restores a
Demon-Possessed
Man
26 They sailed to the
region of
the
Gerasenes,
which is
across the
lake from
Galilee.
27 When
Jesus
stepped
ashore, he
was met by
a
demon-possessed
man from
the town.
For a long
time this
man had
not worn
clothes or
lived in a
house, but
had lived
in the
tombs.
28 When he
saw Jesus,
he cried
out and
fell at
his feet,
shouting
at the top
of his
voice,
“What do
you want
with me,
Jesus, Son
of the
Most High
God? I beg
you, don’t
torture
me!”
29 For
Jesus had
commanded
the impure
spirit to
come out
of the
man. Many
times it
had seized
him, and
though he
was
chained
hand and
foot and
kept under
guard, he
had broken
his chains
and had
been
driven by
the demon
into
solitary
places.
30 Jesus asked him, “What
is your
name?”
“Legion,” he replied,
because
many
demons had
gone into
him.
31 And
they
begged
Jesus
repeatedly
not to
order them
to go into
the Abyss.
32 A large herd of pigs
was
feeding
there on
the
hillside.
The demons
begged
Jesus to
let them
go into
the pigs,
and he
gave them
permission.
33 When
the demons
came out
of the
man, they
went into
the pigs,
and the
herd
rushed
down the
steep bank
into the
lake and
was
drowned.
34 When those tending the
pigs saw
what had
happened,
they ran
off and
reported
this in
the town
and
countryside,
35 and the
people
went out
to see
what had
happened.
When they
came to
Jesus,
they found
the man
from whom
the demons
had gone
out,
sitting at
Jesus’
feet,
dressed
and in his
right
mind; and
they were
afraid.
36 Those
who had
seen it
told the
people how
the
demon-possessed
man had
been
cured.
37 Then
all the
people of
the region
of the
Gerasenes
asked
Jesus to
leave
them,
because
they were
overcome
with fear.
So he got
into the
boat and
left.
38 The man from whom the
demons had
gone out
begged to
go with
him, but
Jesus sent
him away,
saying,
39 “Return
home and
tell how
much God
has done
for you.”
So the man
went away
and told
all over
town how
much Jesus
had done
for him.
Jesus Raises a
Dead Girl
and Heals
a Sick
Woman
40 Now when Jesus
returned,
a crowd
welcomed
him, for
they were
all
expecting
him.
41 Then a
man named
Jairus, a
synagogue
leader,
came and
fell at
Jesus’
feet,
pleading
with him
to come to
his house
42 because
his only
daughter,
a girl of
about
twelve,
was dying.
As Jesus was on his way,
the crowds
almost
crushed
him.
43 And
a woman
was there
who had
been
subject to
bleeding
for twelve
years,
but no one
could heal
her.
44 She
came up
behind him
and
touched
the edge
of his
cloak, and
immediately
her
bleeding
stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus
asked.
When they all denied it,
Peter
said,
“Master,
the people
are
crowding
and
pressing
against
you.”
46 But Jesus said,
“Someone
touched
me; I know
that power
has gone
out from
me.”
47 Then the woman, seeing
that she
could not
go
unnoticed,
came
trembling
and fell
at his
feet. In
the
presence
of all the
people,
she told
why she
had
touched
him and
how she
had been
instantly
healed.
48 Then he
said to
her,
“Daughter,
your faith
has healed
you. Go in
peace.”
49 While Jesus was still
speaking,
someone
came from
the house
of Jairus,
the
synagogue
leader.
“Your
daughter
is dead,”
he said.
“Don’t
bother the
teacher
anymore.”
50 Hearing this, Jesus
said to
Jairus,
“Don’t be
afraid;
just
believe,
and she
will be
healed.”
51 When he arrived at the
house of
Jairus, he
did not
let anyone
go in with
him except
Peter,
John and
James, and
the
child’s
father and
mother.
52 Meanwhile,
all the
people
were
wailing
and
mourning
for her.
“Stop
wailing,”
Jesus
said. “She
is not
dead but
asleep.”
53 They laughed at him,
knowing
that she
was dead.
54 But he
took her
by the
hand and
said, “My
child, get
up!”
55 Her
spirit
returned,
and at
once she
stood up.
Then Jesus
told them
to give
her
something
to eat.
56 Her
parents
were
astonished,
but he
ordered
them not
to tell
anyone
what had
happened.