Mark 4
1 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.
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered to him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
2 Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
And he taught them many things by parables, and said to them in his doctrine,
3 “Listen! The sower went out to sow;
Listen; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 and presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And Jesus said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”
And he said to them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
10 Afterward, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 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 –
And he said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 ‘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.’”
That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 “You do not know the meaning of this parable?” he went on, “Then how will you understand all the other parables?
And he said to them, Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?
14 The sower sows the message.
The sower sows the word.
15 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.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 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;
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 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.
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution rises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
18 Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 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)
And the cares of this world, 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 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.”
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty times, some sixty, and some an hundred.
21 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?
And he said to them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22 There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23 Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24 “Take care what you listen to,” said Jesus. “The standard you use will be used for you, and more will be added for you.
And he said to them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and to you that hear shall more be given.
25 For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.
26 Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like – like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.
28 The ground bears the crop of itself – first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear;
For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.”
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 Jesus also said, “To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
And he said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 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,
It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32 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.”
But when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33 With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
And with many such parables spoke he the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34 and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
But without a parable spoke he not to them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
35 In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across.”
And the same day, when the even was come, he says to them, Let us pass over to the other side.
36 So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 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?”
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say to him, Master, care you not that we perish?
39 Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.
And he arose, 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 timid?” he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”
And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith?
41 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?”
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
