Mark, 4

1. Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowd were at the lakeside on land.

1. Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

2. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,

2. And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:

3. 'Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow.

3. "Listen! A sower went out to sow.

4. Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

4. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was no depth of earth;

5. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;

6. and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away.

6. and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away.

7. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop.

7. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

8. And some seeds fell into rich soil, grew tall and strong, and produced a good crop; the yield was thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.'

8. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

9. And he said, 'Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'

9. And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10. When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant.

10. And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.

11. He told them, 'To you is granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables,

11. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;

12. so that they may look and look, but never perceive; listen and listen, but never understand; to avoid changing their ways and being healed.'

12. so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven."

13. He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

13. And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

14. What the sower is sowing is the word.

14. The sower sows the word.

15. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan at once comes and carries away the word that was sown in them.

15. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them.

16. Similarly, those who are sown on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy.

16. And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;

17. But they have no root deep down and do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once they fall away.

17. and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

18. Then there are others who are sown in thorns. These have heard the word,

18. And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word,

19. but the worries of the world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing.

19. but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

20. And there are those who have been sown in rich soil; they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.'

20. But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

21. He also said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under a tub or under the bed? Surely to be put on the lamp-stand?

21. And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand?

22. For there is nothing hidden, but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.

22. For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.

23. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'

23. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

24. He also said to them, 'Take notice of what you are hearing. The standard you use will be used for you -- and you will receive more besides;

24. And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.

25. anyone who has, will be given more; anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.'

25. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

26. He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land.

26. And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground,

27. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know.

27. and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how.

28. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

28. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29. And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.'

29. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

30. He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it?

30. And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

31. It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.

31. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;

32. Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.'

32. yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

33. Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it.

33. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it;

34. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.

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

35. With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'

35. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."

36. And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.

36. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.

37. Then it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.

37. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

38. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.

38. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?"

39. They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are lost!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm.

39. And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40. Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?'

40. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?"

41. They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'

41. And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"