NETfree - Mark - 4

4:1  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 while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake.

4:2  He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them:

4:3  "Listen! A sower went out to sow.

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

4:5  Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

4:6  When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered.

4:7  Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.

4:8  But 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."

4:9  And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!"

4:10  When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

4:11  He said to them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

4:12  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."

4:13  He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?

4:14  The sower sows the word.

4:15  These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them.

4:16  These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy.

4:17  But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.

4:18  Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word,

4:19  but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.

4:20  But 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."

4:21  He also said to them, "A lamp isn't brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn't it to be placed on a lampstand?

4:22  For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light.

4:23  If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!"

4:24  And he said to them, "Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you.

4:25  For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

4:26  He also said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.

4:27  He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

4:28  By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

4:29  And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come."

4:30  He also asked, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?

4:31  It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground -

4:32  when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade."

4:33  So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.

4:34  He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

4:35  On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake."

4:36  So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him.

4:37  Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.

4:38  But 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?"

4:39  So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Be quiet! Calm down!" Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.

4:40  And he said to them, "Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?"

4:41  They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!"