Mark 4:26-32

26Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground;

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up every day, and [in the meantime] the seed sprouts and grows; how [it does this], he does not know.

28The earth produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head [of grain], then the mature grain in the head.

29But when the crop ripens, he immediately puts in the sickle [to reap], because [the time for] the harvest has come.”

30And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?

31It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, even though it is smaller than all the [other] seeds that are [sown] on the soil,

32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden herbs; and it puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky are able to make nests and live under its shade.”