when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, 'There will be heat,' and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"

There were present, at that season, some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, "Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

He spake also this parable, "A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came, and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard,

Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none; cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, 'Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

ووو

CHAPTER VII.

THE SHIP.

THE same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea-side. And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he entered into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, "Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower, to sow his seed. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air came, and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: but as soon as it was sprung up, when the sun was up, it was scorched; and, because it had no root, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up with it, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. But other fell into good ground, and sprang up, and increased, and brought forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold." And when he had said these things, he cried, and he said unto them, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And when he was alone, the disciples, they that were about him with the twelve, came, and said unto him, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" He answered, and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Unto them, therefore, that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

And they asked of him the parable, saying,

"What might this parable be?" And he said. unto them, "Know ye not this parable? and how, then, will ye know all parables?

Hear ye, there

The parable is

But he that re

fore, the parable of the sower. this. The seed is the word of God. The sower soweth the word. Those by the wayside are they that hear. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then immediately cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away the word, that was sown in his heart, lest he should believe, and be saved. This is he which received seed by the way-side. ceived the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself, and so endureth but for a while, and afterward, in time of temptation, when tribulation, affliction, or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended, and falleth away. He also that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word; and, when he hath heard, goeth forth, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of this life, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; and in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keepeth it, and with patience beareth fruit, and bringeth forth,

me an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty."

And he said unto them, "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel? No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known, and come abroad.

to hear, let him hear."

If any man have ears

And he said unto them, "Take heed, therefore, how ye hear. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have."

And he said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man, which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when