18 So he told them, “What is God’s kingdom similar to? What can I use to describe it? 19 It’s like a mustard seed, which a person might take and throw into their garden and then it grows in a bush and the birds make their nests in its branches.”

30 Again he said, “What could we liken God’s kingdom to? Or what parable could we explain it with? 31 It’s like planting a mustard seed in the ground—a very small seed. 32 But when it’s planted and grows up, it forms a large bush with many branches so that birds can rest in its shade.”

31 Another one of his parables went like this: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. 32 Even though it’s a very small seed, it grows larger than most garden plants and becomes such a large bush that birds even come and nest in its branches.”