Mark 4

Parable of the soils

1 Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore.2 He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said,3 "Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed.4 As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it.5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep.6 When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots.7 Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing.8 Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one."

9 He said, "Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!"

Jesus explains his parable

10 When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables.11 He said to them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables.

12 This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven.
13 "Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?14 The farmer scatters the word.15 This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them.16 Here’s the meaning of the seed that fell on rocky ground: When people hear the word, they immediately receive it joyfully.17 Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away.18 Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word;19 but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

20 The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one."

Parables about lamps and measures

21 Jesus said to them, "Does anyone bring in a lamp in order to put it under a basket or a bed? Shouldn’t it be placed on a lampstand?22 Everything hidden will be revealed, and everything secret will come out into the open.

23 Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!"
24 He said to them, "Listen carefully! God will evaluate you with the same standard you use to evaluate others. Indeed, you will receive even more.

25 Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don’t have, even what they don’t have will be taken away from them."

More parables about God’s kingdom

26 Then Jesus said, "This is what God’s kingdom is like. It’s as though someone scatters seed on the ground,27 then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn’t know how.28 The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain.

29 Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it’s harvesttime."
30 He continued, "What’s a good image for God’s kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it?31 Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it’s the smallest of all the seeds on the earth;

32 but when it’s planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade."
33 With many such parables he continued to give them the word, as much as they were able to hear.

34 He spoke to them only in parables, then explained everything to his disciples when he was alone with them.

Jesus stops a storm

35 Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, "Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake."

36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.
37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped.

38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, "Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?"
39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, "Silence! Be still!" The wind settled down and there was a great calm.

40 Jesus asked them, "Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?"

41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

1 Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there whilet the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake.2 He taught them many things in parables,s and in his teaching said to them:3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow.s4 And as he sowed, some seedt fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.5 Other seed fell on rocky grounds where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.t6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root,t it withered.7 Other seed fell among the thorns,s and they grew up and choked it,s and it did not produce grain.8 Butt other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.”

9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”t

The Purpose of Parables

10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11 He said to them, “The secretts of the kingdom of God has been givent to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.”s
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Thent how will you understand any parable?14 The sower sows the word.15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satans comes and snatches the words that was sown in them.16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy.17 Butt they have no root in themselves and do not endure.t Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word,19 butt worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth,t and the desire for other things come in and choke the word,s and it produces nothing.

20 Butt these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”

The Parable of the Lamp

21 He also said to them, “A lamps isn’t brought to be put under a baskett or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand?22 For nothing is hidden except to be revealed,t and nothing concealed except to be brought to light.23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!”t24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive,t and more will be added to you.

25 For whoever has will be given more, butt whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”s

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sicklet because the harvest has come.”s

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?31 It is like a mustard seeds that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground –

32 when it is sown, it grows up,t becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birdst can nest in its shade.”s

The Use of Parables

33 Sot with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.

34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Stilling of a Storm

35 On that day, when evening came, Jesust said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”t36 Sot after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat,ts and other boats were with him.37 Nowt a great windstormts developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.38 Butt he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?”39 Sot he got up and rebukedt the wind, and said to the sea,s “Be quiet! Calm down!” Thent the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?”

41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this?s Even the wind and sea obey him!”s