A Story about a Farmer
(Matthew 13.1-9Luke 8.4-8)1 The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:
3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was scattered.
9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Matthew 13.10-17Luke 8.9Luke 10)10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories. 11 He answered:
I have explained the secret about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12 The reason is,
“These people will look
and look, but never see.
They will listen and listen,
but never understand.
If they did,
they would turn to God
and be forgiven.”
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
(Matthew 13.18-23Luke 8.11-15)13 Jesus then told them:
If you don't understand this story, you won't understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 17 But they don't have roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was planted.
Light
(Luke 8.16-18)21 Jesus also said:
You don't light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don't you put a lamp on a lampstand? 22 There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known. 23 If you have ears, pay attention!
24 Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated—and even worse. 25 Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose what little they have.
Another Story about Seeds
26 Again Jesus said:
God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. 27 The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how. 28 It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. 29 Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.
A Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13.31Matthew 32Luke 13.18Luke 19)30 Finally, Jesus said:
What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. 32 But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.
The Reason for Teaching with Stories
(Matthew 13.34Matthew 35)33 Jesus used many other stories when he spoke to the people, and he taught them as much as they could understand. 34 He did not tell them anything without using stories. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
A Storm
(Matthew 8.23-27Luke 8.22-25)35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the east side.” 36 So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37 Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.
38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.
40 Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?”
41 Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Odaije gwa kwiji gwina gwathauni
1 Ŋwuje manaŋ dalimiye lijo kimumu ga baẖr; a liji auradha dugun loinyadho, ŋwela, ŋwuni gi felluuka, ŋwujalo gi baẖr alaŋ; a liji peth je kimumu. 2 Ŋwulalimiye dhuŋuna dhoinyadho odaije gwai, ŋwulaici gi taⓐliim dhuŋun, 3 Diŋinul. Kwiji gweta gwiludhi dauni. 4 Dina aunuŋw ŋwon ŋwai, a ŋwitiny ide gi dhai alaŋ, a nyira nya kabo ila, aleny. 5 A ŋwiter ide ŋworlolo ganu ŋwina ŋwati ŋwuthi kwiyaŋu gwoinyadho no; altu babraŋ, ŋinena athi kwiyaŋ jo gwoinyadho no. 6 Abi ma aŋin alidha, ŋwulduni, alai nono; ŋinena athil uthi duwa no. 7 A ŋwiter ide gi cugi ganu, a cugi biŋa, aleny ŋwona, athilbuthi je no. 8 A ŋwiter ide kwiyaŋ gwina gwiŋir, altu, albiŋa; alliŋa; a coŋ uthi je dhure‐a‐die, a coŋ uthi je dure‐thiril, a coŋ uthi je dure‐thudhina. 9 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Gwina gwuthi nyuni nya dhidiŋini, abricul ŋwudiŋini. 10 Dina muŋwjalo cucun, a liji lina lijaijo galo a lina liro die‐a‐ram alothaije galo dhuŋun dhai dhina dhodaijuŋwulo. 11 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Dhimadhedhini dagalo diliŋa dhuŋuna dhina dhigilibicinu dha gidhila ga Kalo; abi degen lina lathije por dhuŋun peth dhapinu odaije gwai. 12 Athildatiŋa galo alaŋa, athilbiliŋidhi no; aldiŋini, athathilbiliŋidhi no; dathil urle dugore galo degen a Kalo dhudhani ganu ŋidi ŋegen ŋina ŋike. 13 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Nyaŋa lati liliŋidhi odaijuŋw ibigwa na? Nyabi liŋa odaijuŋw peth akwai? 14 Kwiji gwina gwathauni, gwathauni dhuŋun dhai. 15 A lina lathije gi dhai alaŋ liro lina luthi dhuŋuna dhina dhan dhikwuinu; abi maldiŋini, an Sheṯaan eladha ganu, ŋwapai dhuŋuna dhina dhikwuinu gi dugor ganu degen. 16 A minoŋ lina likwuinu ŋworlolo ganu; maldiŋini dhuŋuna, almutha babraŋ, aliŋir dugore. 17 Athilbuthi duwa ganu no, athil je ŋwamun coŋ; abi maji ma dhuŋun dhina dhibur je i man liji dhagirini gi dhuŋun dhina dhuthilo dha Kalo, alkadugore babraŋ. 18 A lina likwuinu gi cugi ganu; liro lina lathidiŋini dhuŋuna, 19 abi lumurudhilo ŋidi ŋa gidhila ibiga, al ŋeleny ŋa gidhila ibiga amra, albupe ŋida ŋiter, athi ŋidi ibiŋe eny dhuŋuna, athathil liŋidhi keleŋa no. 20 A lina likwuinu kwiyaŋ gwina gwiŋir; liro minoŋ, maldiŋini dhuŋuna, almutha, alliŋa keleŋa, coŋ dhure‐a‐die, a coŋ dure‐thiril, a coŋ dure‐thudhina.
Odaije gwa lamba a gwa luginy
21 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Kwiji gwathapai shama ŋwugeta gi leny ganu, i gi lagram ganu a? Jati jathuŋwul uleje gi shamadan ganu na? 22 Ŋidi ŋeda ŋate ŋina ŋigilibicinu ŋina ŋati ŋaji ŋaŋini no; a ŋidi ŋate ŋina ŋigitinu nyim ŋina ŋati ŋaji ŋatejini galo no. 23 Ada kwiji gweta gwimuthi nyuni nya dhidiŋini, abricul ŋwudiŋini. 24 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Ethadhinul galo gi dhuŋun dhina dhidiŋinanya; gwiro ŋinena athanyan yeco, laji lajiyeco ko; a dagalo lina ladiŋini labuthani. 25 Gwina gwuthi ŋida, gwaji gwaldhedha; a gwina gwati gwuthi ŋida no, gwaji gwalapa ŋida ŋina ŋuthuŋwulo. 26 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Gidhila ga Kalo giro ŋinena ada kwiji gwimakwoi ŋwulaŋa kwiyaŋ. 27 Gwathidhre gile, ŋwudire bigunu, a ŋwulaŋ tuya, albiŋa, athuŋw biliŋidhi darnu dhuŋun ibidhe dhiro akwai no. 28 Kwiyaŋ gwathi teya ŋwona gwiren; kuni gathituya kwereny, abi lupire aji ŋwutuya, abi ŋwon aji alje. 29 Abi maji ma ŋwon ure, athuŋwul uni, ŋinena ma kalo ro dhura. 30 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Anaŋa larnu gidhila ga Kalo giro ŋinena aŋ? Aluthi ŋoma lodaije dhuŋun dhuŋun akwai? 31 Giro ŋinena luginy la mastarda lina likwuinu kwiyaŋ, litinyunu ŋwuginy peth ŋwina ŋwathije kwiyaŋ. 32 Abi muŋw kwuini, ŋwubiŋa, ŋwolanalaŋ gi jari jina jitijitiny peth, ŋwuteye durna dipidipa; athin nyira nya kabo jalo kwuel. 33 Ŋwulabiŋaijo dhuŋuna odaije gwai gwortal, gwiro ŋinena athil luthi ŋoma ladiŋini. 34 Abi ada odaije gwati gwimaje no, athuŋwulabiŋaijo no; abi dina jalilo calmiz jai juŋun, athuŋwul aŋajo dhuŋuna dha dhodaije peth.
Yasuuⓐ gwabiŋaijo karuna, ŋwaici, Ji jigwoiny
35 A lamun ibile ma kalo ro ŋibilbil, ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Almure kimumu giter. 36 Maldhiŋa lijo, anela ganu felluuka gwina gwijina Yasuuⓐ, a lifelluuka liter lina litilitiny, alligwudhie. 37 A karun aji ŋware gipa, a ŋau ule felluuka ganu, aloinyadhe. 38 A Yasuuⓐ je didhre gi libil lina lijudhi gidon, ŋwudhire makhadda alaŋ. Albirtheye, alabiŋaijo, alaici, Muⓐallim gwai, ŋa gwijalo mun, abi anaŋa laji ladhirudhe, anai a? 39 Ŋwudire, ŋwuŋeŋira karuna, ŋwabiŋaijo ŋau, ŋwulaici, Jul jigwoiny. A karun erna, a kalo audhaijiye galo. 40 Ŋwulabiŋaijo, ŋwulaici, Nyaŋa larau nyabi dhenya minoŋ? Kworaŋ athanya buthi imaan no? 41 Albi dhenya gwuleny, alabiŋaijiye, alarnu, Kwiji ibigwa gwiro dhaŋ, abi ŋau a karun uthejo nyuni?