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.
Again he began to teach beside the sea, and a large crowd gathered around him. He stepped into a boat that was on the sea, and he sat down in it. The whole crowd was on the shore beside the sea.
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching,
He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching, this is what he said to them.
3 Hearken: Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
“Listen, the farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed some seeds fell by the way-side; and the birds came and devoured them.
As he sowed, some seed fell on the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
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.
Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. Immediately it sprang up, because it did not have deep 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, the plants were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up.
7 And others fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them, and they yielded no fruit.
Other seed fell among the thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up and choked it, and it did not produce a 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.
Other seed fell into good soil and it produced a crop growing up and increasing thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times.”
9 And he said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Then he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10 And when he was in private, they who were about him, with the twelve, asked him about the parables.
When Jesus was alone, those who were close to him and with the twelve asked him 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 said to them, “To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside everything is 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 when they look, yes they look, but do not see, and so that when they hear, yes they hear, but do not understand, or else they would turn and God would forgive them.”
13 And he saith to them, Know ye not this parable? and how will ye know all the parables?
Then he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the other parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
The farmer who sows his seed is the one who sows the word.
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.
These are the ones that fall beside the road, where the word was sown, but when they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was 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,
These are the ones that are sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately 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.
They have no root in themselves, but endure for a short time. Then tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, and immediately they stumble.
18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they who hear the word,
The others are the ones that were sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
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 the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things enter in and choke the word, and it does not produce a crop. (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.
Then those that were sown in the good soil are the ones who hear the word and receive it, and they produce crops—thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown.”
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?
Jesus said to them, “Do you bring a lamp inside the house to put it under a basket, or under the bed? You bring it in and you put it on a lampstand.
22 For there is nothing secret, unless to be made known; nor was any thing hidden, but that it should come to light.
For nothing is hidden that will not be known, and nothing is secret that will not come out into the open.
23 If any one hath ears to hear, let him hear.
If anyone 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.
He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear, for the measure you use will be measured to you, and more will be added 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.
Because whoever has, to him will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken.”
26 And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as when a man has cast seed upon the ground,
He also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who sows his seed on the ground.
27 and sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he knows not how.
He sleeps at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28 For the earth brings forth fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
The earth bears grain by itself: First the blade, then the ear, then the mature grain in the ear.
29 But when the fruit puts itself forth, immediately he sends out the sickle, because the harvest is come.
When the crop is ripe, he immediately sends in the sickle because the 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?
Again he said, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it?
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 it is sown, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.
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 it is sown, it grows and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and it forms large branches, so that the birds of heaven can make their nests in its shade.”
33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.
With many parables like this he spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to understand,
34 But without a parable he did not speak to them; but in private he explained all things to his own disciples.
and he did not speak to them without a parable. But when he was alone, he explained everything to his own 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 that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go over 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 they left the crowd, taking Jesus with them, just as he was, in the boat. There were other boats going along with him.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves heat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
Just then a violent windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was almost full of water.
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?
But Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him up, saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are about to die?”
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.
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said to them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith?
Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith?”
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?
They were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, because even the wind and the sea obey him?”
