He gave ¹  them another parable: ²  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ³  that a man took and sowed in his field.

He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

“Indeed, a time is coming,” ¹  says the Lord, ²  “when I will cause people and animals to sprout up in the lands of Israel and Judah. ³ 

We have not built any houses to live in. We do not own any vineyards, fields, or crops.

“A sower went out to sow ¹  his seed. ²  And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds ³  devoured it.

The field is the world and the good seed are the people ¹  of the kingdom. The weeds are the people ²  of the evil one,

And as he sowed, some seed ¹  fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

But God gives it a body just as he planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.

O children ¹  of Israel, God’s ²  servant, you descendants of Jacob, God’s ³  chosen ones!

O children ¹  of Abraham, ²  God’s ³  servant, you descendants ⁴  of Jacob, God’s ⁵  chosen ones!

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ¹  Scripture ²  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ³  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁴  referring to one, who is Christ.

You must be certain to tithe ¹  all the produce of your seed that comes from the field year after year.

Other seed fell on rock, ¹  and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture.

Other seed fell among the thorns, ¹  and they grew up with it and choked ²  it.

Other seed fell among the thorns, ¹  and they grew up and choked it, ²  and it did not produce grain.

And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seed ¹  – perhaps of wheat or something else.

Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ¹  the land.

You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed, ¹  you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear ²  a garment made of two different kinds of fabric. ³ 

¹ The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.