< Mark 4 >
1 And again he began to teach by the side of the sea. And great multitudes were assembled about him; so that he embarked and sat in a ship on the sea, and all the multitude stood on the land by the side of the sea.
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 And he taught them much by similitudes. And in his teaching, he said:
Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
3 Hear ye: Behold a sower went forth to sow.
"Listen: the sower goes out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the side of the path; and a bird came, and devoured it.
As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
5 And other seed fell on a rock, so that it had not much earth; and it soon shot up, because it had no depth of earth.
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 was up, it wilted; and because it had no root, it dried up.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
7 And other seed fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruits.
Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.
8 And other seed fell on good ground, and came up, and grew, and yielded fruits; some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.
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 he said: Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.
"Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
10 And when they were by themselves, those with him, together with the twelve, asked him concerning this similitude.
When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.
11 And Jesus said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them without, all is in similitudes:
"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 that when they see, they may see and not see, and when they hear, they may hear and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them.
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 And he said to them: Do ye not understand this similitude? And how will ye understand all similitudes?
"Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
14 The sower that sowed, sowed the word.
"What the sower sows is the Message.
15 And those by the side of the path, are they in whom the word is sown; and as soon as they have heard it, Satan cometh, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
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 And those sown on the rock, are they who, when they hear the word, immediately with joy receive it.
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 And they have no root in them, but are temporary; and when there is affliction or persecution on account of the word, they are quickly stumbled.
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 And those sown among thorns, are they that hear the word,
Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,
19 and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the residue of other lusts enter in and choke the word, and it is without fruits. (aiōn )
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 )
20 And those sown on good ground are they that hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruits, by thirties, and by sixties, and by hundreds.
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 And he said to them: Is a lamp brought to be placed under a bushel, or under a bed? Is it not to be placed on a light-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 For there is nothing hid, which will not be exposed; and nothing concealed, which will not be made manifest.
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 If any one have ears to hear, let him hear.
Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
24 And he said to them: Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you: and there shall more be given to you who hear.
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 him that hath, will more be given; and from him that hath not, even what he hath, will be taken from him.
For those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away."
26 And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
27 and should sleep and rise, by night and by day, and the seed should grow an shoot up, he knoweth not how.
he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth the fruit; first the plant, and subsequently the ear, and at last the complete wheat 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 And when the fruit is ripe, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest hath arrived.
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."
30 And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? and with what similitude shall we compare it?
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 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is the least of all seeds sown on the earth;
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
32 and when it is sown it springeth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and produceth great branches, so that birds can lodge under its shadow.
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 And by many such similitudes, similitudes such as they could hear, Jesus discoursed with the people.
With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
34 And without similitudes he did not converse with them: but to his disciples, between himself and them, he explained every thing.
But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
35 And he said to them, the same day at evening: Let us pass over to the other side.
The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
36 And they sent away the multitudes: and they conducted him in the ship as he was. And there were also with him other little ships.
So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied Him.
37 And there was a great tempest and wind: and the waves beat upon the ship, and it was near being filled.
But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast filling.
38 And Jesus was asleep on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship. And they came and awoke him, and said to him: Our Rabbi, carest thou not, that we perish?
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 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Cease; be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
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 And he said to them: Why were ye so fearful? and why have ye not faith?
"Why are you so timid?" He asked; "have you still no faith?"
41 And they feared with great fear: and they said, one to another: Who is this, that even the winds 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."