< Marko 4 >

1 Eva eme be ame geɖewo gava ƒo ƒu ɖe Yesu ŋu esime wònɔ nu fiam le ƒuta. Le ameawo ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ ta la, ege ɖe ʋu aɖe me hafi nɔ nua fiam.
Afterwards Jesus began to teach by the seaside, and a vast multitude of people gathered about him, so that he went on board a boat on the sea, and sat there, while all the people stayed on shore, at the water’s edge.
2 Efia nu geɖe amewo to lododowo me.
Then he began teaching them in parables many things. In his teaching he said to them.
3 Egblɔ na wo be, “Miɖo to miasee! Agbledela aɖe yi nuku wu ge ɖe eƒe agble me.
"Listen! the Sower once went out to sow,
4 Nuku siwo wòwu la ƒe ɖewo ge ɖe mɔto, eye xeviwo va fɔ wo mi.
and as he sowed, it happened that some seed fell on the road, and birds came and picked it up;
5 Ɖewo hã ge ɖe kpenyigba dzi, afi si ke sue aɖe ko nɔ; nuku siawo tsi vlɔvlɔvlɔ,
some other seed fell on stony soil, where it had not much earth; and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil,
6 gake esi ŋdɔ ʋu ɖe wo dzi la, woyrɔ, eye woku, elabena woƒe kewo mede to o.
but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away because it had no root.
7 Nuku bubuwo ge ɖe ŋuwo me, eye esi wonɔ tsitsim la, ŋuawo vu tsyɔ wo dzi ale be womete ŋu tse ku aɖeke o.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so that it yielded no crop.
8 Ke nuku aɖewo ya ge ɖe anyigba nyui dzi, eye wotse ku blaetɔ̃, eye ɖewo tse blaade, eye ɖewo hã tse alafa.”
But some seed fell into good soil and yielded a crop that sprang up and increased, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
9 Azɔ Yesu gblɔ na wo be, “Ame si to senu li na la nesee.”
"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."
10 Le esia megbe la, esi Yesu kple eƒe nusrɔ̃la wuieveawo kpakple nusrɔ̃la bubuwo susɔ la, nusrɔ̃lawo biae be, “Lododo sia gɔme ɖe?”
When he was alone his followers and the Twelve began asking about the parables.
11 Yesu ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Miawo la, wona mɔ mi be mianya mawufiaɖuƒe la ƒe nu ɣaɣlawo, ke woɣla esiawo ɖe ame siwo le fiaɖuƒe la godo to lododo me.
He went on to say to them. "The secret truth concerning the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside everything is told in parables,
12 Miɖo ŋku edzi be, “Togbɔ be wokpɔa nu, eye wosea nu hã la, womele nu gɔme se ge alo atrɔ ɖe Mawu gbɔ; be wòatsɔ woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ake wo o.”
so that, "for all their looking they may not see, and for all their hearing, they may not understand, lest perchance they should turn and be pardoned.
13 Ale Yesu gblɔ na wo bena, “Ke nenye be miawo hã miete ŋu se lododo sia gɔme o ɖe, aleke miawɔ ase esiwo mava do emegbe la gɔme?
"You do not understand this parable," said Jesus. "Then how will you understand the other parables?
14 Agbledela si ŋu meƒo nu tsoe lae nye ame si gblɔa mawunya na amewo.
"What the Sower sows is the Word. There are those ‘on the wayside’ where the Word is sown.
15 Mɔto, afi si nuku aɖewo kaka ɖo lae nye ame siwo ƒe dziwo ku atri. Ne wose mawunya la, Satana va te wo kpɔ ko la, woŋlɔa nya la be enumake.
As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the Word which has been sown in them.
16 Kpenyigba si dzi nuku aɖewo ge ɖo lae nye ame siwo sea mawunya la, eye woxɔnɛ kple dzidzɔ,
And like the sowing upon ‘stony ground’ are those who, whenever they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy,
17 gake abe nuku siwo miena ɖe anyigba ma ƒomevi dzi ene la, woƒe kewo medea to o, eye togbɔ be wotsina vlɔvlɔvlɔ hã la, ne yometiti va ko la, wogbɔdzɔna.
but because they have no root in themselves they last for a time; but when suffering or persecution ensues because of the Word, they at once fall away.
18 Ŋunyigba si dzi nuku aɖewo ge ɖo lae nye ame siwo sea nyanyui la, woxɔnɛ ɖe woƒe dziwo me,
There are others who are ‘sown among thorns.’
19 gake xexe sia me ƒe dzitsitsi ɖe kesinɔnuwo ŋu, hloloetsotso na dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ kple xexea me ƒe nudzroame geɖewo zua ŋu vuna tsyɔa Mawu ƒe Nya si wose la dzi, metsea ku aɖeke o. (aiōn g165)
When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful. (aiōn g165)
20 Azɔ anyigba nyui lae nye ame siwo xɔa Mawu ƒe Nya la le nyateƒe me, eye wòtsea ku geɖe na Mawu, blaetɔ̃, blaade alo alafa ɖeka gɔ̃ hã.”
But those, on the other hand, who were sown on that good soil, are those who listen to the Word, and welcome it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold."
21 Yesu yi edzi bia nusrɔ̃lawo be, “Nenye be ame aɖe si akaɖi ɖe, ɖe wòtsɔa nu tsyɔa edzi alo danɛ ɖe abati te mahã? Alo menye akaɖiti dzie wodanɛ ɖo be wòaklẽ na amewo o mahã?
He went on to say. "Is the lamp brought in to be put under the bushel or the bed? Is it not rather to be put on the lamp-stand?
22 Nu siwo katã le ɣaɣla fifia la, ava dze le gaglãgbe gbe ɖeka.
There is nothing hidden except what is to be disclosed, and nothing concealed except what is to be revealed.
23 Ne to senu li na mi la, misee!
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 Mikpɔ egbɔ be miewɔ ɖe nu siwo miese la dzi, elabena ne miele esia wɔm la, ekema miase nu siwo katã mefia mi la gɔme.
And he said to them. "Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
25 Ame si si nu le la, eyae woana nui, eye ame si si nu mele o la, woaxɔ sue si le esi la gɔ̃ hã le esi.”
For he who holds, to him will more be given, and he who holds not, from him will be taken even what he holds."
26 “Lododo bubu si fia ale si mawufiaɖuƒe la le lae nye esi: ‘Agbledela aɖe ƒã nuku ɖe eƒe abɔ me, eye wòdzo,
"It is with the kingdom of God," he continued, "as if a man should have sown seed in the earth;
27 ke le ŋkeke aɖewo megbe la, nuku la ŋutɔ tsi le eɖokui si, eye agbledela la mewɔ dɔ aɖeke o, elabena anyigba la ŋutɔ nyo xoxo.
night and day he sleeps and wakes while the seed is sprouting and growing tall, he knows not how.
28 Gbã la, aŋgba fɛ̃wo do tso anyigba ƒe tu me, emegbe la, nuku la ƒo se, eye mlɔeba la, etse ku.
Of its own accord the earth bears its crops; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 Ke esi kutsetse la ɖi la, agbledela la yi agble la me kple eƒe nuxahɛ, eye wòxa nuku la.’”
Then as soon as the crop is ready the man has the sickle put in at once, because harvest-time is come.
30 Yesu yi edzi bia wo be, “Aleke gɔ̃ maɖe ale si mawufiaɖuƒe la le la afia mie. Lododo ka tututu matsɔ asɔ kplii?
"To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?" he said again. "in what parable shall we set it forth?
31 Mawufiaɖuƒe la le abe atiku suetɔ kekeake ene le anyigba dzi.
It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the soil, is the smallest seed in the world;
32 Togbɔ be ele alea hã la, ne woƒãe la, etsina zua ati dzɔatsu le abɔmetiwo katã dome, eye wòɖea alɔ legbe siwo me xeviwo wɔa atɔ ɖo hekpɔa gbɔɖeme le wo me.”
yet when sown shoots up and becomes larger than any plant, sending out such branches that the wild birds build their nests under its shadow."
33 Yesu wɔ lododo vovovowo ŋu dɔ tsɔ fia nu amewo. Ewɔ esiwo gɔme amewo ate ŋu ase la ŋu dɔ.
With many such illustrations Jesus used to tell his message to people as far as they were able to receive it;
34 Le nyateƒe me la, ne Yesu le nu fiam le dutoƒo la, lododo sɔŋ ko ŋu dɔ wòwɔna, ke emegbe ne eya kple eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo ɖe aga la, eɖea wo gɔme na wo.
and to them it was his practice never to speak except in parables. But he used to explain everything in private to his disciples.
35 Esi ɣe nɔ to ɖom la, Yesu gblɔ na eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo be, “Mina míatso ƒu la ayi eƒe go evelia dzi.”
On the evening of that same day Jesus said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."
36 Eya kple eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo ge ɖe ʋu aɖe me, eye wodze mɔ, hegble ameha la ɖe ƒua ta, ke ʋu bubuwo hã dze wo yome.
So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them just as he was in the boat; and the other boats were with him.
37 Esi wozɔ yina sẽe la, ahom sesẽ aɖe de asi tutu me. Esia na be ƒutsotsoewo ŋe dze ʋu la me ale gbegbe be esusɔ vie ko ʋu la nanyrɔ.
But a great gale of wind came up, and the waves were dashing into the boat so that it began to fill.
38 Togbɔ be esiawo katã nɔ edzi yim hã la, Yesu ya ziɔ suɖui le ʋua ta henɔ alɔ̃ dɔm dziɖeɖitɔe. Nusrɔ̃lawo ʋuʋui sesĩe wònyɔ. Wobiae vɔvɔ̃tɔe be, “Nufiala, mètsɔ ɖeke le eme be míele nyɔnyrɔm oa?”
Now he himself was sleeping on the cushion in the stern, so they woke him up, saying, "Master, do you not care if we perish?"
39 Yesu blu ɖe ya la ta enumake, eye wòɖe gbe na ƒu la hã be, “Zi ɖoɖoe!” Ya sesẽ la tɔ enumake, eye ƒu la zi ɖoɖoe toŋtoŋtoŋ.
And he awoke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"
40 Azɔ etrɔ ɖe nusrɔ̃lawo ŋu bia wo be, “Nu ka ta mievɔ̃ alea gbegbe ɖo? Ekema va se ɖe fifia hã la, miexɔ dzinye se oa?”
The wind fell, and there ensued a great calm. Then he said to them. "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
41 Vɔvɔ̃ ɖo nusrɔ̃lawo ŋutɔ. Woƒe mo wɔ yaa, eye wogblɔ na wo nɔewo be, “Ame ka gɔ̃e nye esia, be yawo kple ƒutsotsoewo hã ɖoa toe?”
Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"

< Marko 4 >