Mark 4
1 And again he began to teach by the shore of the lake; and there was gathered to him a very great multitude, so that he went into a boat, and sat down in it upon the lake; and all the multitude was by the lake on the land.
Afterwards Jesus began to teach by the seaside, and a vast multitude of people gathered about him, so that he went on board a boat on the sea, and sat there, while all the people stayed on shore, at the water’s edge.
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching,
Then he began teaching them in parables many things. In his teaching he said to them.
3 Hearken: Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
"Listen! the Sower once went out to sow,
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed some seeds fell by the way-side; and the birds came and devoured them.
and as he sowed, it happened that some seed fell on the road, and birds came and picked it up;
5 And others fell on rocky ground, where they had not much earth; and they sprung up immediately, because they had no depth of earth.
some other seed fell on stony soil, where it had not much earth; and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil,
6 But when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.
7 And others fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them, and they yielded no fruit.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.
8 And others fell on good ground, and shooting up and growing yielded fruit; and bore as much as thirty, and sixty, and a hundred fold.
But some seed fell into good soil and yielded a crop that sprang up and increased, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
9 And he said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."
10 And when he was in private, they who were about him, with the twelve, asked him about the parables.
When he was alone his followers and the Twelve began asking about the parables.
11 And he said to them, To you hath been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them, who are without, all things are done in parables; t
He went on to say to them. "The secret truth concerning the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside everything is told in parables,
12 hat seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest they should turn, and be forgiven.
so that, "for all their looking they may not see, and for all their hearing, they may not understand, lest perchance they should turn and be pardoned.
13 And he saith to them, Know ye not this parable? and how will ye know all the parables?
"You do not understand this parable," said Jesus. "Then how will you understand the other parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
"What the Sower sows is the Word. There are those ‘on the wayside’ where the Word is sown.
15 And these are they by the wayside, those where the word is sown, and when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in them.
As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the Word which has been sown in them.
16 And these in like manner are they that are sown on the rocky places, those, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy,
And like the sowing upon ‘stony ground’ are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,
17 and have no root in themselves, but endure only for a time; then, when affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the word, they immediately fall away.
but because they have no root in themselves they last for a time; but when suffering or persecution ensues because of the Word, they at once fall away.
18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they who hear the word,
There are others who are ‘sown among thorns.’
19 but the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 And these are they who are sown on the good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it; and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold.
But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."
21 And he said to them, Is a lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be set on the lamp-stand?
He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?
22 For there is nothing secret, unless to be made known; nor was any thing hidden, but that it should come to light.
There is nothing hidden except what is to be disclosed, and nothing concealed except what is to be revealed.
23 If any one hath ears to hear, let him hear.
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 And he said to them, Take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye mete, it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you.
And he said to them. "Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
25 For he that hath, to him will be given; and he that hath not, from him will be taken away even what he hath.
For he who holds, to him will more be given, and he who holds not, from him will be taken even what he holds."
26 And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as when a man has cast seed upon the ground,
"It is with the kingdom of God," he continued, "as if a man should have sown seed in the earth;
27 and sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he knows not how.
night and day he sleeps and wakes while the seed is sprouting and growing tall, he knows not how.
28 For the earth brings forth fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Of its own accord the earth bears its crops; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 But when the fruit puts itself forth, immediately he sends out the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Then as soon as the crop is ready the man has the sickle put in at once, because harvest-time is come.
30 And he said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? or under what comparison shall we set it forth?
"To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?" he said again. "in what parable shall we set it forth?
31 It is like a grain of mustard, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth;
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the soil, is the smallest seed in the world;
32 and when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air can lodge under its shade.
yet when sown shoots up and becomes larger than any plant, sending out such branches that the wild birds build their nests under its shadow."
33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.
With many such illustrations Jesus used to tell his message to people as far as they were able to receive it;
34 But without a parable he did not speak to them; but in private he explained all things to his own disciples.
and to them it was his practice never to speak except in parables. But he used to explain everything in private to his disciples.
35 And on the same day, when the evening was come, he saith to them, Let us pass over to the other side.
On the evening of that same day Jesus said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
36 And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, as he was, in the boat; and there were also other boats with him.
So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them just as he was in the boat; and the other boats were with him.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves heat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.
38 And he was in the stern, asleep on the pillow; and they awake him, and say to him, Teacher, carest thou not that we are perishing?
Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, Peace! be still! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"
40 And he said to them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith?
The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?
Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"
