A Lamp Under a Basket

21 (A)And he said to them, (B)“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 (C)For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 (D)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: (E)with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 (F)For 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, (G)“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; (H)he 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 (I)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 (J)And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like (K)a 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 (L)With many such parables he spoke (M)the word to them, (N)as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them (O)without a parable, but (P)privately to his own disciples he (Q)explained everything.

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A Lamp on a Stand

21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(A) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(B) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(C)

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(D) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(E)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(F) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(G)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed(H)

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(I) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(J) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(K) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

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21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

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