Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the seaside. And a large crowd was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. And the whole crowd was on the land by the sea.
Once more He began to teach by the side of the Lake, and a vast multitude of people came together to listen to Him. He therefore went on board the boat and sat there, a little way from the land; and all the people were on the shore close to the water.
2 And then he taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
3 "Listen. Look, the sower who went out to sow.
"Listen: the sower goes out to sow.
4 And it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck 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 falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;
6 And when the sun came up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
7 And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.
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."
But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold."
9 And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
"Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
10 And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.
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,
"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;
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.'"
that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"
13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all of the parables?
"Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
14 The farmer sows the word.
"What the sower sows is the Message.
15 And these are the ones by the road where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message 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.
In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those 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 they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.
18 And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard 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 worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. (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."
Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or 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?
He went on to say, "Is the lamp brought in in order to be put under the bushel or under the bed? Is it not rather in order that it may be placed on the lampstand?
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.
Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
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.
He also said to them, "Take care what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and that with interest.
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 those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, 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,
Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
27 and he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs up and grows; he doesn't know how.
he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how.
28 The earth bears fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of 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?
Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it?
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,
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
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 it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."
33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
34 And he did not speak to them without a parable; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
35 And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."
The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.
So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied Him.
37 And a big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast 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?"
But He Himself was in the stern asleep, with His head on the cushion: so they woke Him. "Rabbi," they cried, "is it nothing to you that we are drowning?"
39 And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace. Be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
So He roused Himself and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" The wind sank, and a perfect calm set in.
40 And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
"Why are you so timid?" He asked; "have you still no faith?"
41 And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."
