Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land.
Once more He began to teach by the side of the Lake, and a vast multitude of people came together to listen to Him. He therefore went on board the boat and sat there, a little way from the land; and all the people were on the shore close to the water.
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching,
Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
3 Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:
"Listen: the sower goes out to sow.
4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, some [seed] fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
5 And other fell on the rocky [ground], where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:
Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;
6 and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
7 And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.
8 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold."
9 And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
"Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.
When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;
12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"
13 And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?
"Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
14 The sower soweth the word.
"What the sower sows is the Message.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them.
Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them.
16 And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky [places], who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy;
In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully,
17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble.
but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.
18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word,
Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,
19 and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."
21 And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, [and] not to be put on the stand?
He went on to say, "Is the lamp brought in in order to be put under the bushel or under the bed? Is it not rather in order that it may be placed on the lampstand?
22 For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was [anything] made secret, but that it should come to light.
Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.
23 If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you: and more shall be given unto you.
He also said to them, "Take care what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and that with interest.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
For those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.
he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how.
28 The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.
Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."
30 And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?
Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth,
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
32 yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.
yet when sown it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it:
With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.
But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
35 And on that day, when even was come, he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.
The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
36 And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.
So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied Him.
37 And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling.
But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast filling.
38 And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
But He Himself was in the stern asleep, with His head on the cushion: so they woke Him. "Rabbi," they cried, "is it nothing to you that we are drowning?"
39 And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
So He roused Himself and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" The wind sank, and a perfect calm set in.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith?
"Why are you so timid?" He asked; "have you still no faith?"
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."
