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.
Jesus again began to teach by the sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering around him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water’s edge.
2 He illustrated his teachings using many stories.
Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
3 “Listen,” he said. “A sower went out to sow.
“Listen! The sower 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 presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.
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
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
6 they were scorched when the sun came up. Since they didn't have any real roots, they soon withered.
but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the sprouting seeds, so they produced nothing.
Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
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.
Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”
9 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying.”
And Jesus said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”
10 When he was by himself, his twelve disciples and the others who were with him asked him what the illustrations meant.
Afterward, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his 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 you the hidden truth of the kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables so that –
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.”
‘Though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; and though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; otherwise some day they might 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?
“You do not know the meaning of this parable?” he went on, “Then how will you understand all the other parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
The sower sows the message.
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.
The people meant by the seed that falls along the path are these – where the message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the message that 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.
So, too, those meant by the seed sown on the rocky places are the people who, when they have heard the message, at once accept it joyfully;
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.
but, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises because of the message, they fall away at once.
18 Those sown among the thorns illustrate those who hear the word,
Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
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)
but the cares of life, and the glamour of wealth, and cravings for many other things come in and completely choke the message, so that it gives no return. (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.
But the people meant by the seed sown on the good ground are those who hear the message, and welcome it, and yield a return, thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”
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.
Jesus said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under the couch, instead of being put on the lamp-stand?
22 Everything that is hidden will be revealed, and everything that is secret will be brought out into the open.
There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.
23 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying!
Let all who have ears to hear with 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.
“Take care what you listen to,” said Jesus. “The standard you use will be used for you, and more will be added for 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, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
26 God's kingdom is like a man sowing seed in the ground,” Jesus said.
Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like – like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
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 then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not 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 ground bears the crop of itself – first the blade, then the ear, and 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, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.”
30 What can we compare God's kingdom to? What illustration shall we use?” he asked.
Jesus also said, “To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
31 “It's like a mustard seed, the tiniest seed of all.
By what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds,
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.”
yet, when sown, shoots up, and becomes larger than any other herb, and puts out great branches, so that even the wild birds can roost in its shelter.”
33 Jesus used many of these illustrated stories when he spoke to the people so they would understand as much as they could.
With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
34 In fact, when he spoke publicly, he only used stories; however in private he explained everything to his disciples.
and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private 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.”
In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across.”
36 Leaving the crowd behind, the disciples went with Jesus and got into a boat. Other boats went with them.
So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.
37 Soon a terrible storm started blowing, and waves crashed against the boat, filling it with water.
A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
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?”
Jesus was in the stern asleep on the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried, “Teacher! Is it nothing to you that we are lost?”
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.
Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.
40 “Why are you so frightened? Haven't you learned to trust me?” he asked them.
“Why are you so timid?” he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”
41 They were stunned and terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another, “Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
