Mark 4
1 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.
And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to him, so as for him, after entering into the boat, to sit on the sea, and all the multitude was by the sea on the land.
2 Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching,
3 ‘Listen! The sower went out to sow;
Listen. Behold, the man who sows went forth to sow.
4 and presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.
And it came to pass during the sowing, some fell by the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
And others fell on the rocky ground where it had not much soil. And straightaway it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
6 but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
And when the sun was risen it was scorched, and because it had no root it dried out.
7 Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.
8 Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.’
And others fell into the good ground and gave fruit, coming up and increasing, and brought forth, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.
9 And Jesus said, ‘Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.’
And he said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
10 Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
And when he became alone, those around him, with the twelve, asked him the parable.
11 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 –
And he said to them, To you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, all things occur in parables.
12 “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.”’
So that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand, lest they should turn, and the sins would be forgiven them.
13 ‘You do not know the meaning of this parable?’ he went on, ‘Then how will you understand all the other parables?
And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? And how will ye understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the message.
The man who sows sows the word.
15 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.
And these are those by the path where the word is sown. And whenever they may hear, straightaway Satan comes, and takes away the word that has been sown in their hearts.
16 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;
And these in like manner are those being sown upon the rocky places, who, whenever they may hear the word, straightaway receive it with joy.
17 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.
And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution develops because of the word, straightaway they are caused to stumble.
18 Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
And these are those being sown in the thorns, who hear the word,
19 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)
and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the cravings about other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 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.’
And these are those that were sown upon the good ground, who hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.
21 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?
And he said to them, Does the lamp come so that it might be put under the bushel or under the bed? Is it not so that it might be put on the lampstand?
22 There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.
For there is not anything hid, except that it may be revealed, nor become secret, but that it may come to be visible.
23 Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.
24 ‘Take care what you listen to,’ said Jesus. ‘The standard you use will be used for you, and more will be added for you.
And he said to them, Watch what ye hear. By what measure ye measure, it will be measured to you, and to those who hear, it will be added to you.
25 For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’
For whoever has, to him it will be given. And he who has not, even what he has will be taken away from him.
26 Jesus also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like – like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
27 and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and lengthen, he knows not how.
28 The ground bears the crop of itself – first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear;
For the earth bears fruit spontaneously, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.’
But when the fruit yields, straightaway he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.
30 Jesus also said, ‘To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
And he said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or by what parable shall we compare it?
31 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,
It is like a grain of the mustard plant, which, when it is sown in the ground, is smaller than all the seeds upon the ground.
32 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.’
Yet when it is sown, it goes up and becomes greater than all the plants, and it makes great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under the shade of it.
33 With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34 and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
And he did not speak to them apart from a parable, but privately he explained all things to his disciples.
35 In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, ‘Let us go across.’
And on that day, having become evening, he says to them, Let us pass through to the other side.
36 So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.
And having sent the multitude away, they bring him along as he was in the boat. And other small boats were also with him.
37 A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
And a great storm of wind develops, and the waves were thrown into the boat, so as for it now to be filling.
38 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?’
And he himself was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they awake him, and say to him, Teacher, does it not concern thee that we perish?
39 Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Hush! Be still!’ Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.
And having awaken, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Be quiet! Silence! And the wind ceased, and it became a great calm.
40 ‘Why are you so timid?’ he exclaimed. ‘Have you no faith yet?’
And he said to them, Why are ye cowardly this way? How have ye no faith?
41 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?’
And they feared a great fear, and said to each other, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea also obey him?
