Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the lake. And a large crowd was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat on the lake, and sat down. And the whole crowd was on the land by the lake.
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 then 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. Look, the sower who went out to sow.
‘Listen! The sower went out to sow;
4 And it happened, 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 And 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 And when the sun came up, 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 And 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 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth thirty times, and sixty times, and one hundred times."
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, "Whoever 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 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 And he said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, 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 and 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 said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? And 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 And these are the ones by the road where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satana 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 And these in a similar 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 And they have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. Then, 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 And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones 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 the 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 And those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and 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 And he said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not 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 anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
24 And he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given 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 whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not 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 And he said, "The Kingdom of God is like someone who scatters 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 he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs up and grows; 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 The earth bears fruit, 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 forth 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 And he said, "To what will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we use for it?
Jesus also said, ‘To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
31 It's like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the soil, though it is less than all the seeds that are upon the soil,
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 is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and puts out large 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 And 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 And he did not speak to them without a parable; 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 And on that day, when evening had come, he said 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 leaving the crowd, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats 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 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 And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, do you not 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 And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the lake, "Peace. Be still." And 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 And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
‘Why are you so timid?’ he exclaimed. ‘Have you no faith yet?’
41 And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the lake 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?’
