Mark 4
1 Jesus again began to teach by the sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering around 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.
Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
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 in His teaching He said,
3 “Listen! The sower went out to sow;
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 and presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along 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;
Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9 And Jesus said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”
Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 Afterward, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about 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 –
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed 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, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
13 “You do not know the meaning of this parable?” he went on, “Then how will you understand all the other parables?
Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 The sower sows the message.
The farmer 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.
Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
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;
Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once 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.
But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They 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)
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and 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.”
Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
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?
Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand?
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 nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
If anyone 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.
He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more 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 will be given more. But whoever does not have, 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,
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though 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;
All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.”
And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 Jesus also said, “To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present 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 mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
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.”
But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”
33 With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
35 In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across.”
When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross 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.
After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
37 A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
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?”
But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
39 Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
40 “Why are you so timid?” he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have 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?”
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
