Mark 4:26-34

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.”

33With many such parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear and understand it;

34and He did not say anything to them without [using] a parable; He did, however, explain everything privately to His own disciples.