Mark 4
1 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.
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 proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3 "Listen: the sower goes out to sow.
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil;
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 is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8 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."
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 "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11 "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;
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 that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
13 "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 "What the sower sows is the Message.
The farmer sows the word.
15 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.
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 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,
Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
17 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.
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 Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19 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)
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 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."
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 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?
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 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.
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23 Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 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.
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 those who have will have more given them; and from those who have not, 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 Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
27 he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how.
Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
28 Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.
All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
29 But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."
And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 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?
Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
31 It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
32 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."
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 He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
34 But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
35 The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
36 So they got away from the crowd, and took Him--as He was--in the boat; and other boats accompanied 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 But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast filling.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.
38 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?"
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 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.
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 asked; "have you still no faith?"
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41 Then they were filled with terror, and began to say to one another, "Who is this, then? For even wind and sea obey Him."
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
