Mark 4
1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
Jesus again began to teach by the sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round 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 taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
3 “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.
‘Listen! The sower went out to sow;
4 As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
and presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.
5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
8 Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”
Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.’
9 He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And Jesus said, ‘Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.’
10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
11 He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
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 that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”
“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 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?
‘You do not know the meaning of this parable?’ he went on, ‘Then how will you understand all the other parables?
14 The farmer sows the word.
The sower sows the message.
15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has 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 These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
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 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
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 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,
Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (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 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
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 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a 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 For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.
There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.
23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
24 He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear.
‘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 For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”
For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’
26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
Jesus also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like – like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.
and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
28 For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
The ground bears the crop of itself – first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear;
29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.’
30 He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?
Jesus also said, ‘To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
31 It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,
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 yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
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 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
34 Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”
In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, ‘Let us go across.’
36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.
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 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
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 He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great 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 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
‘Why are you so timid?’ he exclaimed. ‘Have you no faith yet?’
41 They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea 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?’
