Mark 4
1 Jesus began teaching beside the Sea again. So many people came to listen to him that he climbed into a boat and sat in it on the water while the crowd listened from the shore.
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 He illustrated his teachings using many stories.
And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3 “Listen,” he said. “A sower went out to sow.
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 Now as he was scattering the seeds, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate them up.
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Other seeds fell on stony ground where there wasn't much earth. In the shallow soil the plants started growing quickly, but because the soil wasn't deep
Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 they were scorched when the sun came up. Since they didn't have any real roots, they soon withered.
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the sprouting seeds, so they produced nothing.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil where they sprouted and grew. They produced a harvest of some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times what was planted.
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 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying.”
Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 When he was by himself, his twelve disciples and the others who were with him asked him what the illustrations meant.
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11 He told them, “The mystery of God's kingdom has been given to you to understand. But outsiders only have the stories,
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 even though they see, they don't really ‘see,’ and even though they hear, they don't understand, otherwise they might turn to me and be forgiven.”
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
13 “Don't you understand this story?” Jesus asked them. “If you can't, how are you going to understand all the other stories?
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 The seeds on the path where the word is sown illustrate those who hear the message, but then Satan immediately comes along and takes away the word that's been sown in them.
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 Likewise the seeds on the rocky ground illustrate those who hear the word, and happily accept it right away.
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 real roots, they only last for a while until trouble or persecution comes, and then 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 Those sown among the thorns illustrate those who hear the word,
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 but worries of this world, the temptation of wealth, and other distractions choke the growth of the word, and it becomes unproductive. (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 But the seeds sown on good soil illustrate those who hear the word, accept it, and are productive—producing thirty, sixty, and hundred times what was originally sown.
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 Who puts a lamp under a bucket, or beneath a bed?” Jesus asked them. “No, you put a lamp up on a lamp-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 Everything that is hidden will be revealed, and everything that is secret will be brought out into the open.
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying!
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Pay attention to what you're hearing,” he told them, “for you will be given according to how much you want to receive, measure for measure.
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 More will be given to those who already have understanding, but those who don't want to know will have what little understanding they have taken from them.
For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26 God's kingdom is like a man sowing seed in the ground,” Jesus said.
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 “He goes to bed and gets up, day after day, but the man has no knowledge of how the seeds sprout and grow.
Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28 The earth produces a harvest by itself. First a shoot appears, then the heads of grain, and then the heads of grain ripen.
All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 When the grain is ripe, the farmer reaps it with a sickle, because the harvest is ready.
And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 What can we compare God's kingdom to? What illustration shall we use?” he asked.
Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31 “It's like a mustard seed, the tiniest seed of all.
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
32 But when it's sown it grows into a plant that's larger than other plants. It has branches big enough that birds can roost 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 Jesus used many of these illustrated stories when he spoke to the people so they would understand as much as they could.
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 In fact, when he spoke publicly, he only used stories; however in private he explained everything to his disciples.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
35 Later that day, in the evening, he said to his disciples, “Let's go across to the other side of the Sea.”
When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
36 Leaving the crowd behind, the disciples went with Jesus and got into a boat. Other boats went with them.
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 Soon a terrible storm started blowing, and waves crashed against the boat, filling it with water.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
38 Jesus was asleep in the stern, resting his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting at him, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
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 Jesus woke up. He told the wind to die down and told the waves, “Be quiet! Be still.” The wind stopped, and the water became completely 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 “Why are you so frightened? Haven't you learned to trust me?” he asked them.
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were stunned and terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
