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.
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 he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching,
Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
3 Hearken: Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
“Listen! The sower 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 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 rocky ground, where they had not much earth; and they sprung up immediately, because they had no depth of earth.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, having no depth of soil, sprang up at once;
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, having no root, withered away.
7 And others fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them, and they 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 on good ground, and shooting up and growing yielded fruit; and bore as much as thirty, and sixty, and a hundred fold.
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, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And Jesus said: “Let any one who has ears to hear with hear.”
10 And when he was in private, they who were about 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 hath been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them, who are without, all things are done in parables; t
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, that —
12 hat seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest 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; lest some day they should turn and be forgiven.’
13 And he saith to them, Know ye not this parable? and how will ye know all 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 sower soweth the word.
The sower sows the Message.
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.
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 like manner are they that are sown on the rocky places, those, 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 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, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, they fall away at once.
18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they who hear the word,
Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the Message,
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)
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 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 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 a lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be set on the lamp-stand?
And Jesus said to them: “Is a lamp brought to be put under the corn-measure or under the couch, instead of being 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.
Nothing is hidden unless it is some day to come to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day.
23 If any one hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Let all who have ears to hear with 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.
Take care what you listen to,” said Jesus. “The measure you mete will be meted out to you, and more will be added for 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, 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, Thus is the kingdom of God, as when a man has cast seed upon the ground,
Jesus also said: “This is what the Kingdom of God is like — like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
27 and sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he knows not how.
and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing — 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.
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 puts itself forth, immediately he sends out the sickle, because the harvest is 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 shall we liken the kingdom of God? or under what comparison shall we set it forth?
Jesus also said: “To what can we liken the Kingdom of God?
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;
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, 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 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.
With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his Message, 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 he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
35 And on the same day, when the evening was come, he saith to them, Let us pass over to the other side.
In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them: “Let us go across.”
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 there were other boats with him.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves heat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
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?
Jesus was in the stern asleep upon the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried: “Teacher! is it nothing to you that we are lost?”
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.
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 ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith?
“Why are you so timid?” he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the waves 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?”
