Mark 4

1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,3 “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,4 and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birdst came and devoured it.5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

9 He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.11 He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

12 that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”t
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?14 The farmer sows the word.15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.16 These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.17 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
21 He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a baskett or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.

25 For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”
26 He said, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn’t know how.28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 He said, “How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?31 It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

34 Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.37 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4

Parable of the Sower and Soils

1 He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,3 "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.6 And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."9 And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."

Explanation

13 And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?14 The sower sows the word.15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.16 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,19 but the worries of the tworld, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

21 And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?22 For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."24 And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

Parable of the Seed

26 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-how, he himself does not know.28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.29 But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 And He said, "How shall we tpicture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE tAIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE."

33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

Jesus Stills the Sea

35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."36 Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.40 And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"