Mark 4

1verseAgain 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.

2verseHe taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

3verse“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.

4verseAs he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

5verseOthers fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

6verseWhen the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7verseOthers fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8verseOthers fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

9verseHe said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10verseWhen he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11verseHe said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

12versethat ‘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.’”

13verseHe said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

14verseThe farmer sows the word.

15verseThe 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.

16verseThese 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.

17verseThey have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

18verseOthers are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

19verseand 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.

20verseThose which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

21verseHe said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

22verseFor there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.

23verseIf any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24verseHe 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.

25verseFor whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

26verseHe said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

27verseand should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

28verseFor the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29verseBut when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30verseHe said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

31verseIt’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,

32verseyet 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.”

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

34verseWithout a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35verseOn that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

36verseLeaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.

37verseA big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

38verseHe himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

39verseHe awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm.

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

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