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 by the sea, and a large crowd was gathered around him. So he got into the boat and sat in it on the sea, while the entire crowd was beside the sea on the shore.
2 Then He began teaching them many things by parables and said to them in His teaching:
Then he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them,
3 “Listen! Yes, a sower went out to sow.
“Listen! A sower went out to sow.
4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
As he sowed, 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.
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up immediately because it had no depth of soil.
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, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and smothered it, and it yielded no fruit.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no fruit.
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.”
But other seed fell into good soil and produced fruit that grew and increased; some bore thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times more than what was sown.”
9 Then He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Then he 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.
When he was alone with the twelve and the others who were 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,
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 spoken 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 see but not perceive, and hear but not understand, lest they should turn back and be forgiven of their sins.’”
13 Then He said to them: “Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
Then he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the other parables?
14 The sower sows the Word.
The sower 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.
Now some people are like the seed along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in their hearts.
16 Similarly, these are the ones sown on the rocky area: as soon as they hear the Word they receive it with joy,
Likewise, some people are like the seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, they immediately 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.
Yet they have no root in themselves, but are only temporary. When tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away.
18 And these are the ones sown among the thorns: they hear the Word,
Others are like the seed 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 cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things enter 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.”
But others are like the seed sown on the good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and bear fruit—some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times more than what was sown.”
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?
He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed? Is it not brought in to be set on a lampstand?
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 made manifest, nor has anything been made secret except to come 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.
Then he said to them, “Consider what you hear. With the measure you use it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you who hear.
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
He 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.
He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he does not know how.
28 All by itself the earth produces fruit: first a shoot, then a head of grain, then full grain in the head.
For the earth produces a crop by itself: first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
29 But as soon as the grain is ready, he sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
When the crop is ready, the man immediately sends in the sickle, for 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 Jesus said, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? Or what parable can we use to describe 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 grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on 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.”
Yet when it is sown, it grows and becomes larger than all the garden plants and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can 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 similar parables he spoke the word to them, to the extent that they were able to understand it.
34 But apart from a parable He did not speak to them; privately, however, He would explain everything to His disciples.
He did not speak to them without using a parable, but privately he explained everything to his disciples.
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side of the sea.”
36 Since He was already in the boat, they took off with Him, leaving the crowd behind (other little boats were also with Him).
So they left the crowd and took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other little boats were also 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.
Now a great windstorm arose, and the waves were beating against the boat, so that it was nearly 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, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do yoʋ not 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 he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” So the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And He said to them: “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
Then he said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you 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!?”
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
