Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that going on board ship he sat in the sea, and all the crowd were close to the sea on the land.
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 And he taught them many things in parables. And he said to them in his doctrine,
Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
3 Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow.
‘Listen! The sower went out to sow;
4 And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, 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 And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up out [of the ground] because it had no depth of earth;
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
6 and when the sun arose it was burnt up, and because of its not having any root, it withered.
but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
7 And another 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 And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.
Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.’
9 And he said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
And Jesus said, ‘Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.’
10 And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables.
Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
11 And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, 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 beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should 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 And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all 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 sower sows the word:
The sower sows the message.
15 and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was 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 And these are they in like manner who are sown upon the rocky places, who when they hear 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 and they have no root in themselves, but are for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are offended.
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 And others are they who are sown among the thorns: these are they 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 life, 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 And these are they who have been sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit; one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred [fold].
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 And he said to them, Does the lamp come that it should be put under the bushel or under the couch? [Is it] not that it should be set upon the 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 For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest; nor does any secret thing take place, 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 one have ears to hear, let him hear.
Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
24 And he said to them, Take heed what ye hear; with what measure ye mete, it shall be meted to you; and there shall be [more] added to you.
‘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 whosoever has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, even what he has shall be taken 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 And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon 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 up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he does not know how.
and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
28 The earth bears fruit of itself, first [the] blade, then an ear, then full corn 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 produced, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest is come.
but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.’
30 And he said, How should we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison should we compare it?
Jesus also said, ‘To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
31 As to a grain of mustard [seed], which, when it is sown upon the earth, is less than all seeds which are upon 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 and when it has been sown, mounts up and becomes greater than all herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven can roost 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 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear,
With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
34 but without a parable spoke he not to them; and in private he explained all things 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 And on that day, when evening was come, he says to them, Let us go over to the other side:
In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, ‘Let us go across.’
36 and having sent away the crowd, they take him with [them], as he was, in the ship. But other ships also were 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 And there comes a violent gust of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it already filled.
A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they awake him up and say to him, Teacher, dost thou not care that we are perishing?
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 And awaking up he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute. And the wind fell, 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 And he said to them, Why are ye [thus] fearful? how [is it] ye have not faith?
‘Why are you so timid?’ he exclaimed. ‘Have you no faith yet?’
41 And they feared [with] great fear, and said one to 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?’
