Mark 4
1 Once again He began to teach beside the sea. And a large crowd was gathered to Him, so that He got into the boat and sat down, out on the water, while the whole crowd was on the land, at the water's edge.
Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
2 Then He began teaching them many things by parables and said to them in His teaching:
And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3 “Listen! Yes, a sower went out to sow.
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Some fell on the rocky area where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 But upon the sun's rising it was scorched, and because it had no root it was withered up.
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and smothered it, and it yielded no fruit.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 And some fell into the good ground, and coming up and growing it started to produce fruit—yielding thirty times as much, sixty times as much, even a hundred times as much.”
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9 Then He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 But when He was alone, those who were around Him, with the twelve, asked Him about the parable.
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11 So He said to them: “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, everything is being given in parables,
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
12 so that: ‘Seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; so that they should not return and their sins be forgiven them.’”
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
13 Then He said to them: “Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 The sower sows the Word.
The farmer sows the word.
15 These are the ones where the Word is sown along the path: as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts.
Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16 Similarly, these are the ones sown on the rocky area: as soon as they hear the Word they receive it with joy,
Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
17 but since they have no root in themselves they are temporary—when oppression or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away.
But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 And these are the ones sown among the thorns: they hear the Word,
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the undue desires for other things come in and smother the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 And these are the ones sown on the good ground: such people hear the Word, welcome it and produce fruit—thirty times as much, sixty times as much, even a hundred times as much.”
Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
21 Also He said to them: “The lamp is not brought to be put under a box or under a bed, is it? Is it not to be placed on its stand?
Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand?
22 For there is no ‘hidden’ that may not be exposed, nor has anything been concealed but that it should come to light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them: “Pay attention to what you hear. With the same measure you use it will be measured to you in return; and to you who hear, more will be added.
He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.
25 Because whoever has, to him more will be given; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26 He also said: “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter the seed on the ground
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 and should sleep and get up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28 All by itself the earth produces fruit: first a shoot, then a head of grain, then full grain in the head.
All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 But as soon as the grain is ready, he sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again He said: “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or with what sort of parable should we illustrate it?
Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31 It is like a mustard seed, that when it is sown on the ground is the smallest of all such seeds,
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden herbs and produces big branches, so that the birds of the air are able to rest in its shade.”
But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”
33 It was with many such parables that He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 But apart from a parable He did not speak to them; privately, however, He would explain everything to His disciples.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
36 Since He was already in the boat, they took off with Him, leaving the crowd behind (other little boats were also with Him).
After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
37 Well a strong cyclonic wind came up, such that the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling up.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
38 But He was on the poop deck, sleeping on the cushion; so they awakened Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?”
But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
39 Then, having been awakened, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Shut up; be muzzled!” So the wind stopped and there was a complete calm.
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
40 And He said to them: “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and started saying to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!?”
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
