< 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.
2 And he taught them much by similitudes. And in his teaching, he said:
3 Hear ye: Behold a sower went forth to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the side of the path; and a bird came, and devoured it.
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.
6 But when the sun was up, it wilted; and because it had no root, it dried up.
7 And other seed fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruits.
8 And other seed fell on good ground, and came up, and grew, and yielded fruits; some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.
9 And he said: Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when they were by themselves, those with him, together with the twelve, asked him concerning this similitude.
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:
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.
13 And he said to them: Do ye not understand this similitude? And how will ye understand all similitudes?
14 The sower that sowed, sowed the word.
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.
16 And those sown on the rock, are they who, when they hear the word, immediately with joy receive it.
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.
18 And those sown among thorns, are they that hear the word,
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 )
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.
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?
22 For there is nothing hid, which will not be exposed; and nothing concealed, which will not be made manifest.
23 If any one have ears to hear, let him hear.
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.
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.
26 And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into 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.
28 For the earth bringeth forth the fruit; first the plant, and subsequently the ear, and at last the complete wheat in the ear.
29 And when the fruit is ripe, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest hath arrived.
30 And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? and with what similitude shall we compare 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;
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.
33 And by many such similitudes, similitudes such as they could hear, Jesus discoursed with the people.
34 And without similitudes he did not converse with them: but to his disciples, between himself and them, he explained every thing.
35 And he said to them, the same day at evening: Let us pass over 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.
37 And there was a great tempest and wind: and the waves beat upon the ship, and it was near being filled.
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?
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.
40 And he said to them: Why were ye so fearful? and why have ye not 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!
