Mark 4

Modern

Literal

The Parable of the Sower

¹Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

¹And again He began to teach beside the sea, and a very great crowd gathered together to Him, so that He, having entered into a boat, sat down in the sea, and all the crowd was close to the sea, on the land.

²And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,

²And He was teaching them many things in parables, and He was saying to them in His teaching,

³“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.

³“Listen! Behold, the one sowing went out to sow.

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

⁴And it came to pass in the sowing that some indeed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.

⁵And other fell upon the rocky place, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because of it not having depth of soil.

⁶But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

⁶And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because of having no root, it withered.

⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.

⁷And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.

⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”

⁸And others fell into the good soil, and it was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and one bearing thirtyfold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

⁹Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

¹⁰As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.

¹⁰And when He was alone, those around Him with the Twelve were asking Him about the parables.

¹¹He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,

¹¹And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything is done in parables,

¹²so that,

‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn

and be forgiven.’”^a

¹²so that: ‘Seeing they might see and not perceive, and hearing they might hear and not understand, lest ever they might return, and they might be forgiven.’””

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

¹³And He says to them, “Do you not know this parable? And how will you know all the parables?

¹⁴The farmer sows the word.

¹⁴The one sowing sows the word.

¹⁵Some are like the seeds^a along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

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

¹⁶Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.

¹⁶And these are likewise those sown upon the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.

¹⁷But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

¹⁷And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then, on tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are caused to stumble.

¹⁸Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,

¹⁸And others are the ones sown among the thorns. These are the ones having heard the word,

¹⁹but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

¹⁹and the anxieties of the age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²⁰Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

²⁰And those are the ones having been sown upon the good soil, such as hear the word and receive it and bear fruit: one thirtyfold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

²¹Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand?

²¹And He was saying to them, “Does the lamp come so that it might be put under the basket or under the bed? Is it not so that it might be put upon the lampstand?

²²For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

²²For there is nothing that is hidden except so that it should be made manifest; nor was anything hidden away but so that it should come to be manifest.

²³If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

²⁴He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

²⁴And He was saying to them, “Look at what you hear. In what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and it will be added to you.

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

²⁵For whoever has, it will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

²⁶Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.

²⁶And He was saying, “Thus is The kingdom of God: as a man may cast the seed upon the earth,

²⁷Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.

²⁷and may sleep and rise night and day, and the seed may sprout and grow—he does not know how.

²⁸All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.

²⁸Of itself, the earth bears fruit—first a plant, then an ear, then full grain in the ear.

²⁹And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”^a

²⁹And when the fruit may offer itself, immediately he sends the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?

³⁰And He was saying, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or in what parable shall we put it?

³¹It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.

³¹It is like a grain of mustard, which, when it may be sown upon the earth, is smallest of all the seeds that are upon the earth.

³²But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”

³²And when it may be sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and makes great branches, so that under its shadow the birds of the sky are able to lodge.”

³³With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.

³³And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear.

³⁴He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

³⁴And without a parable He was not speaking to them; but in private to His own disciples He was explaining all things.

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”

³⁵And on that day, evening having come, He says to them, “Let us pass over to the other side.”

³⁶After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.

³⁶And having dismissed the crowd, they take Him along just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him.

³⁷Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.

³⁷And there comes a great storm of wind, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so as already to be filling the boat.

³⁸But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”

³⁸And He was in the stern on the cushion, sleeping. And they awaken Him and say to Him, “Teacher, is it no concern to You that we are perishing?”

³⁹Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

³⁹And having been awoken, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” And the wind abated, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

⁴⁰And He said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Have you still no faith?”

⁴¹Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

⁴¹And they feared with great fear, and they were saying to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”