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 more He began to teach by the side of the Lake, and a vast multitude of people came together to listen to Him. He therefore went on board the boat and sat there, a little way from the land; and all the people were on the shore close to the water.
2 Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:
Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
3 “Listen! The sower went out to sow;
"Listen: the sower goes out 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.
As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn’t deep, sprang up at once;
Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;
6 but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
7 Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.
Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields 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.”
But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold."
9 And Jesus said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”
"Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
10 Afterward, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;
When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.
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 –
"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;
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.’”
that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"
13 “You do not know the meaning of this parable?” he went on, “Then how will you understand all the other parables?
"Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
14 The sower sows the message.
"What the sower sows is the Message.
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.
Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message 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;
In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully,
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 have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown.
18 Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,
Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,
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 worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, 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.”
Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."
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?
He went on to say, "Is the lamp brought in in order to be put under the bushel or under the bed? Is it not rather in order that it may be placed 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.
Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.
23 Let all who have ears to hear with hear.
Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
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 also said to them, "Take care what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and that with interest.
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 those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."
26 Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like – like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,
Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
27 and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing – he knows not how.
he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, 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;
Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.
29 but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come.”
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."
30 Jesus also said, “To what can we liken the kingdom of God?
Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent 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, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
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 sown it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."
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 He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
34 and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.
But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
35 In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across.”
The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "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.
So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied Him.
37 A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.
But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast 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?”
But He Himself was in the stern asleep, with His head on the cushion: so they woke Him. "Rabbi," they cried, "is it nothing to you that we are drowning?"
39 Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.
So He roused Himself and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" The wind sank, and a perfect calm set in.
40 “Why are you so timid?” he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”
"Why are you so timid?" He asked; "have you still 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?”
Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."
