Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that going on board ship he sat in the sea, and all the crowd were close to the sea on the land.
Afterwards Jesus began to teach by the seaside, and a vast multitude of people gathered about him, so that he went on board a boat on the sea, and sat there, while all the people stayed on shore, at the water’s edge.
2 And he taught them many things in parables. And he said to them in his doctrine,
Then he began teaching them in parables many things. In his teaching he said to them.
3 Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow.
"Listen! the Sower once went out to sow,
4 And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.
and as he sowed, it happened that some seed fell on the road, and birds came and picked it up;
5 And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up out [of the ground] because it had no depth of earth;
some other seed fell on stony soil, where it had not much earth; and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil,
6 and when the sun arose it was burnt up, and because of its not having any root, it withered.
but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.
7 And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.
8 And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.
But some seed fell into good soil and yielded a crop that sprang up and increased, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
9 And he said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."
10 And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables.
When he was alone his followers and the Twelve began asking about the parables.
11 And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables,
He went on to say to them. "The secret truth concerning the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside everything is told in parables,
12 that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven.
so that, "for all their looking they may not see, and for all their hearing, they may not understand, lest perchance they should turn and be pardoned.
13 And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all the parables?
"You do not understand this parable," said Jesus. "Then how will you understand the other parables?
14 The sower sows the word:
"What the Sower sows is the Word. There are those ‘on the wayside’ where the Word is sown.
15 and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the Word which has been sown in them.
16 And these are they in like manner who are sown upon the rocky places, who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,
And like the sowing upon ‘stony ground’ are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,
17 and they have no root in themselves, but are for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are offended.
but because they have no root in themselves they last for a time; but when suffering or persecution ensues because of the Word, they at once fall away.
18 And others are they who are sown among the thorns: these are they who have heard the word,
There are others who are ‘sown among thorns.’
19 and the cares of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 And these are they who have been sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit; one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred [fold].
But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."
21 And he said to them, Does the lamp come that it should be put under the bushel or under the couch? [Is it] not that it should be set upon the lamp-stand?
He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?
22 For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest; nor does any secret thing take place, but that it should come to light.
There is nothing hidden except what is to be disclosed, and nothing concealed except what is to be revealed.
23 If any one have ears to hear, let him hear.
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 And he said to them, Take heed what ye hear; with what measure ye mete, it shall be meted to you; and there shall be [more] added to you.
And he said to them. "Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
25 For whosoever has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, even what he has shall be taken from him.
For he who holds, to him will more be given, and he who holds not, from him will be taken even what he holds."
26 And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth,
"It is with the kingdom of God," he continued, "as if a man should have sown seed in the earth;
27 and should sleep and rise up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he does not know how.
night and day he sleeps and wakes while the seed is sprouting and growing tall, he knows not how.
28 The earth bears fruit of itself, first [the] blade, then an ear, then full corn in the ear.
Of its own accord the earth bears its crops; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is produced, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest is come.
Then as soon as the crop is ready the man has the sickle put in at once, because harvest-time is come.
30 And he said, How should we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison should we compare it?
"To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?" he said again. "in what parable shall we set it forth?
31 As to a grain of mustard [seed], which, when it is sown upon the earth, is less than all seeds which are upon the earth,
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the soil, is the smallest seed in the world;
32 and when it has been sown, mounts up and becomes greater than all herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven can roost under its shadow.
yet when sown shoots up and becomes larger than any plant, sending out such branches that the wild birds build their nests under its shadow."
33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear,
With many such illustrations Jesus used to tell his message to people as far as they were able to receive it;
34 but without a parable spoke he not to them; and in private he explained all things to his disciples.
and to them it was his practice never to speak except in parables. But he used to explain everything in private to his disciples.
35 And on that day, when evening was come, he says to them, Let us go over to the other side:
On the evening of that same day Jesus said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
36 and having sent away the crowd, they take him with [them], as he was, in the ship. But other ships also were with him.
So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them just as he was in the boat; and the other boats were with him.
37 And there comes a violent gust of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it already filled.
But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.
38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they awake him up and say to him, Teacher, dost thou not care that we are perishing?
Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"
39 And awaking up he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute. And the wind fell, and there was a great calm.
And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"
40 And he said to them, Why are ye [thus] fearful? how [is it] ye have not faith?
The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
41 And they feared [with] great fear, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"
