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.
And, again, began he to be teaching by the sea; and there come together unto him a very great multitude, so that, he, into a boat, entering, was sitting upon the sea, —and, all the multitude, were, near the sea upon the land.
2 Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,
And he began to teach them, in parables, many things, and was saying unto them, in his teaching—
3 "Listen: the sower goes out to sow.
Hearken! Lo! the sower went forth to sow;
4 As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some, indeed, fell by the pathway, 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;
And, some, fell on the rocky places, [even] where it had not much earth, —and, straightway, it sprang forth, by reason of its not having depth of earth;
6 but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away.
and, when the sun arose, it was scorched, —and, by reason of its not having root, it was dried up;
7 Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop.
And, some, fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and, fruit, it yielded not;
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."
And, other, fell into the good ground, and was yielding fruit, coming up and growing, —and was bearing, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold,
9 "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!"
And he was saying—He that hath 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.
And when he was alone they who were about him with the twelve questioned him as to the parables;
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;
and he was saying unto them—To you, the sacred secret hath been given of the kingdom of God, whereas, to them who are outside, in parables are all things coming to pass, —that
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.'"
They may surely look and yet not see, and surely hear and yet not understand, lest once they should return and it be forgiven them.
13 "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"
And he saith unto them—Know ye not this parable? How then will ye get to know all the parables?
14 "What the sower sows is the Message.
The sower, soweth 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.
And these are they beside the pathway where the word is sown, —and, as soon as they hear, straightway, cometh Satan, and snatcheth away the word which hath been sown into 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,
And these are likewise they upon the rocky places sown, —who, as soon as they hear the word, straightway, with joy receive it,
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.
and have no root in themselves, but, only for a season are, —afterwards, when there ariseth tribulation or persecution by reason of the word, straightway, they find cause of stumbling;
18 Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message,
And others are they who among thorns are sown, —these are they who 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)
and, the anxieties of the age, and the deceit of wealth, and the covetings about the remaining things, entering in, choke up the word, and, unfruitful, it becometh; (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."
And those yonder are they who on the good ground are sown, —who, indeed, hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit—thirtyfold and sixtyfold and 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?
And he was saying unto them—Doth the lamp come that under the measure it should be put, or under the couch? Is it not that upon the lampstand it may be put?
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 it is not hidden, save that it may be made visible; neither did it get hidden away, but that it might come into a place where it could be seen.
23 Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
If any one hath 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.
And he was saying unto them—Be taking heed what ye are hearing: —with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you, and added unto 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, he that hath, it shall be given, unto him, and, he that hath not, even what he hath, shall be taken from him.
26 Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
And he was saying—Thus, is the kingdom of God: As a man may cast seed upon the earth,
27 he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how.
and be sleeping and rising, night and day, —and the seed be sprouting, and lengthening itself, —how, he, knoweth not:
28 Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.
of itself, the earth beareth fruit, —first, a blade, afterwards, an ear, after that, full corn in the ear;
29 But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."
but, as soon as the fruit yieldeth itself up, straightway, he sendeth forth the sickle, because standing by is the harvest.—
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?
And he was saying—How shall we liken the kingdom of God, or, in what parable, shall we put it?
31 It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;
As a grain of mustard seed, —which, whensoever it may be sown upon the earth, is less than all the seeds that are 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."
and, as soon as it is sown, springeth up, and becometh greater than all garden plants, and produceth large branches, so that, under the shade thereof, the birds of heaven can find shelter.
33 With many such parables He used to speak the Message to them according to their capacity for receiving it.
And, with many such parables as these, was he speaking unto them the word, —according as they were able to hear;
34 But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.
but, without a parable, was he not speaking unto them, —privately, however, unto his own disciples, was he explaining all things.
35 The same day, in the evening, He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
And he saith unto them, on that day, when evening came, Let us cross over unto 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.
and, dismissing the multitude, they take him with them, as he was, in the boat, and, other boats, were with him.
37 But a heavy squall came on, and the waves were now dashing into the boat, so that it was fast filling.
And there ariseth a great tempest of wind, —and, the waves, were dashing over into the boat, so that, already being filled, was the boat.
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?"
And he was in the stern, on the cushion, sleeping. And they arouse him, and say unto him, Teacher! carest thou not that we perish?
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.
And, roused up, he rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea—Hush! be still! and the wind lulled, and it became a great calm.
40 "Why are you so timid?" He asked; "have you still no faith?"
And he said unto them—Why, are ye, fearful? Not yet, have ye 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."
And they were caused to fear a great fear, and were saying one to another—Who then is, this, that, both the wind and the sea, give ear unto him?
