Mark 4
4
1 Again 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. 2He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching, 3“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds#4:4 TR adds “of the air” came and devoured it. 5Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil. 6When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7Others fell amongst the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8Others 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.” 9He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11He 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, 12that ‘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.’”#Isaiah 6:9-10
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? 14The farmer sows the word. 15The 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. 16These 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. 17They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. 18Others are those who are sown amongst the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, 19and 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. 20Those 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.”
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket #4:21 literally, a modion, a dry measuring basket containing about a peck (about 9 litres) or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? 22For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light. 23If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 He 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. 25For 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.”
26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how. 28For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? 31It’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, 32yet 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.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. 37A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. 38He 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?”
39 He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
41 They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
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Mark 4
4
Storytelling Opens Hearts
1Again Yeshua began to teach by the sea. A large crowd gathered around Him, so He got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the crowd was by the sea on the land.
2He began teaching them many things by parables, and in His teaching, He said to them:
3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed.
4It happened that as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and the birds came and ate it up.
5“Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it didn’t have much soil. It sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep.
6But when the sun came up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7“Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8“And others fell into the good soil and were producing fruit, springing up and increasing. They yielded a crop, producing thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
9And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10When Yeshua was alone, those around Him with the Twelve started asking Him about the parables.
11And He told them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those who are outside, everything is in parables, so that
12‘Seeing, they may see and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear and not understand, so they may not turn back and be forgiven.’”
13He said to them, “Don’t you grasp this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown. Whenever they hear, satan comes quickly and takes away the word that has been sown in them.
16“These are the ones sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
17And they have no root in themselves but last only a short while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.
18“And others are the ones sown among the thorns. They have heard the word;
19but the worries of the world, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20“And those are the ones sown on the good soil. They hear the word and accept it and produce fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
Reaping What You Sow
21He also was saying to them, “Is a lamp put under a basket or a bed? No, shouldn’t it be placed on a lampstand?
22For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor anything kept secret except that it would come to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He continued, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you; and more will be added to you.
25For whoever has, to him more will be given. And whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
What Is the Kingdom of God Like?
26And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like when a man spreads seed on the soil
27and falls asleep at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He himself doesn’t know how.
28Automatically, the earth brings forth a crop—first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
29But when the grain is ready, at once he sends in the sickle, for the harvest has come.”
30Yeshua also said, “How should we picture the kingdom of God? Or by what story shall we present it?
31It is like a mustard seed when it’s planted in the ground. Though the smallest of all seeds in the earth, yet when planted it grows up and becomes the largest of all the herbs.
32It puts forth big branches, so the birds of the air can nest in its shade.”
33With many such parables He used to tell them the word, as much as they were able to hear.
34But apart from a parable, He wasn’t speaking to them. Yet when they were alone, to His own disciples He would explain everything.
Power Over Nature
35Now on that same day in the evening, He says to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side.”
36After leaving the crowd, they take Him along in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him.
37A great windstorm arises, and the waves were rushing into the boat. The boat was beginning to fill up.
38But Yeshua was in the back of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They wake Him up and say to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?”
39So He woke up and rebuked the wind. And He said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became totally calm.
40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Even now you have no faith?”
41They were struck with awe and said to one another, “Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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