Mark 4
1 Jesus began teaching beside the Sea again. So many people came to listen to him that he climbed into a boat and sat in it on the water while the crowd listened from the shore.
And again he began to teach by the seaside. And a large crowd was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. And the whole crowd was on the land by the sea.
2 He illustrated his teachings using many stories.
And then he taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
3 “Listen,” he said. “A sower went out to sow.
"Listen. Look, the sower who went out to sow.
4 Now as he was scattering the seeds, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate them up.
And it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Other seeds fell on stony ground where there wasn't much earth. In the shallow soil the plants started growing quickly, but because the soil wasn't deep
And others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
6 they were scorched when the sun came up. Since they didn't have any real roots, they soon withered.
And when the sun came up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the sprouting seeds, so they produced nothing.
And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil where they sprouted and grew. They produced a harvest of some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times what was planted.
And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth thirty times, and sixty times, and one hundred times."
9 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying.”
And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
10 When he was by himself, his twelve disciples and the others who were with him asked him what the illustrations meant.
And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
11 He told them, “The mystery of God's kingdom has been given to you to understand. But outsiders only have the stories,
And he said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
12 so that even though they see, they don't really ‘see,’ and even though they hear, they don't understand, otherwise they might turn to me and be forgiven.”
that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn and be forgiven.'"
13 “Don't you understand this story?” Jesus asked them. “If you can't, how are you going to understand all the other stories?
And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all of the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
The farmer sows the word.
15 The seeds on the path where the word is sown illustrate those who hear the message, but then Satan immediately comes along and takes away the word that's been sown in them.
And these are the ones by the road where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
16 Likewise the seeds on the rocky ground illustrate those who hear the word, and happily accept it right away.
And these in a similar way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17 But since they have no real roots, they only last for a while until trouble or persecution comes, and then they quickly fall away.
And they have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. Then, when oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
18 Those sown among the thorns illustrate those who hear the word,
And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19 but worries of this world, the temptation of wealth, and other distractions choke the growth of the word, and it becomes unproductive. (aiōn g165)
and the cares of the age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 But the seeds sown on good soil illustrate those who hear the word, accept it, and are productive—producing thirty, sixty, and hundred times what was originally sown.
And those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."
21 Who puts a lamp under a bucket, or beneath a bed?” Jesus asked them. “No, you put a lamp up on a lamp-stand.
And he said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not put on a stand?
22 Everything that is hidden will be revealed, and everything that is secret will be brought out into the open.
For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.
23 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying!
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 Pay attention to what you're hearing,” he told them, “for you will be given according to how much you want to receive, measure for measure.
And he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
25 More will be given to those who already have understanding, but those who don't want to know will have what little understanding they have taken from them.
For whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."
26 God's kingdom is like a man sowing seed in the ground,” Jesus said.
And he said, "The Kingdom of God is like someone who scatters seed on the earth,
27 “He goes to bed and gets up, day after day, but the man has no knowledge of how the seeds sprout and grow.
and he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs up and grows; he doesn't know how.
28 The earth produces a harvest by itself. First a shoot appears, then the heads of grain, and then the heads of grain ripen.
The earth bears fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 When the grain is ripe, the farmer reaps it with a sickle, because the harvest is ready.
But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."
30 What can we compare God's kingdom to? What illustration shall we use?” he asked.
And he said, "To what will we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we use for it?
31 “It's like a mustard seed, the tiniest seed of all.
It's like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the soil, though it is less than all the seeds that are upon the soil,
32 But when it's sown it grows into a plant that's larger than other plants. It has branches big enough that birds can roost in its shade.”
And when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."
33 Jesus used many of these illustrated stories when he spoke to the people so they would understand as much as they could.
And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34 In fact, when he spoke publicly, he only used stories; however in private he explained everything to his disciples.
And he did not speak to them without a parable; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
35 Later that day, in the evening, he said to his disciples, “Let's go across to the other side of the Sea.”
And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."
36 Leaving the crowd behind, the disciples went with Jesus and got into a boat. Other boats went with them.
And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.
37 Soon a terrible storm started blowing, and waves crashed against the boat, filling it with water.
And a big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
38 Jesus was asleep in the stern, resting his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting at him, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?"
39 Jesus woke up. He told the wind to die down and told the waves, “Be quiet! Be still.” The wind stopped, and the water became completely calm.
And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace. Be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 “Why are you so frightened? Haven't you learned to trust me?” he asked them.
And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41 They were stunned and terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
