OEBcth - Mark - 4

4:1  Jesus again began to teach by the Sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the Sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water’s edge.

4:2  Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them:

4:3  “Listen! The sower went out to sow;

4:4  and presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.

4:5  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, because the soil wasn't deep, sprang up at once;

4:6  but, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, because their roots were not deep enough, withered away.

4:7  Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return.

4:8  Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”

4:9  And Jesus said: “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”

4:10  Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;

4:11  and he said: “To you the hidden truth of the kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables so that —

4:12  ‘Though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; and though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; otherwise some day they might turn and be forgiven.’

4:13  “You do not know the meaning of this parable?”he went on; “Then how will you understand all the other parables?

4:14  The sower sows the message.

4:15  The people meant by the seed that falls along the path are these — where the message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the message that has been sown in them.

4:16  So, too, those meant by the seed sown on the rocky places are the people who, when they have heard the message, at once accept it joyfully;

4:17  but, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises because of the message, they fall away at once.

4:18  Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,

4:19  but the cares of life, and the glamour of wealth, and cravings for many other things come in and completely choke the message, so that it gives no return.

4:20  But the people meant by the seed sown on the good ground are those who hear the message, and welcome it, and yield a return, thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”

4:21  Jesus said to them: “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under the couch, instead of being put on the lamp-stand?

4:22  There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.

4:23  Let all who have ears to hear with hear.

4:24  Take care what you listen to,”said Jesus. “The standard you use will be used for you, and more will be added for you.

4:25  For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

4:26  Jesus also said: “This is what the kingdom of God is like — like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,

4:27  and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing — he knows not how.

4:28  The ground bears the crop of itself — first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear;

4:29  but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he ‘puts in the sickle because harvest has come’.”

4:30  Jesus also said: “To what can we liken the kingdom of God?

4:31  By what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds,

4:32  yet, when sown, shoots up, and becomes larger than any other herb, and puts out great branches, so that even ‘the wild birds can roost in its shelter.’”

4:33  With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his message, as far as they were able to receive it;

4:34  and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.

4:35  In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them: “Let us go across.”

4:36  So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.

4:37  A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.

4:38  Jesus was in the stern asleep on the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried: “Teacher! Is it nothing to you that we are lost?”

4:39  Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: “Hush! Be still!”Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed.

4:40  “Why are you so timid?”he exclaimed. “Have you no faith yet?”

4:41  But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another: “Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?”