THE DEMAND FOR A SIGN.

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.”

But he answered and said unto them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them:  for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it:  for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

“But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.  Then he saith, ‘I will return into my house whence I came out;’ and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there:  and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first.  Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.”

And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck.”

But he said, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.”

THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM

THE SOWER.

On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.  And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.  And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, “Hearken:  Behold, the sower went forth to sow:  and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.  And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:  and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.  And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.  And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.”  And he said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve came, and said unto him, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”

And he answered and said unto them, “Unto you it is given 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 abundance:  but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,