21. And he said to them, “Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it? Is it not so that it may be put on a lampstand?
22. For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light.
23. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
24. And he said to them, “Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you.
25. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26. And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground.
27. And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.
28. By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head.
29. But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come.”
30. And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it?
31. It is like a mustard seed that when sown on the ground, although it is the smallest of all the seeds that are on the ground,
32. but when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all the garden herbs, and sends out large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade.”
33. And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.