Mark 4
4
The Parable of the Sower
1Again #For ver. 1-12, see Matt. 13:1-15; Luke 8:4-10 he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, #[ch. 3:9; Luke 5:1-3]so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2And #ver. 33he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3“Listen! Behold, #[Isa. 55:10; Amos 9:13]a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6And #James 1:11 when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, #John 15:6it withered away. 7Other seed fell among #Jer. 4:3thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and #ver. 20; Gen. 26:12a hundredfold.” 9And he said, #See Matt. 11:15“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10And #ver. 34when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, #Matt. 19:11; Col. 1:27; [1 Cor. 2:6-10; 1 John 2:20, 27]; See Matt. 11:25 “To you has been given #See Rom. 16:25 the secret of the kingdom of God, but for #1 Cor. 5:12, 13; Col. 4:5; 1 Thess. 4:12; 1 Tim. 3:7those outside everything is in parables, 12#Isa. 6:9, 10 so that
“‘they #
Deut. 29:4; Jer. 5:21; Ezek. 12:2; Rom. 11:8; 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4; [Isa. 42:19, 20] may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they # See Luke 22:32 should turn and be forgiven.’”
13 # For ver. 13-20, see Matt. 13:18-23; Luke 8:11-15 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14#[Matt. 13:37; John 4:36, 37] The sower sows #ver. 33; ch. 2:2; Luke 1:2; Acts 8:4; James 1:21the word. 15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it #[ch. 6:20; Isa. 58:2; Ezek. 33:31, 32; John 5:35]with joy. 17And they have no root in themselves, but #Gal. 1:6; [Hos. 6:4; Gal. 5:7] endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately #See Matt. 11:6they fall away.#4:17 Or stumble 18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19but #See Matt. 6:25 the cares of #2 Tim. 4:10 the world and #1 Tim. 6:9, 10, 17; [ch. 10:23; Matt. 19:23; Acts 5:1-11; Heb. 3:13]the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and #Hos. 14:8; John 15:5, 16; Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:6 bear fruit, #ver. 8thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
A Lamp Under a Basket
21 # For ver. 21-25, see Luke 8:16-18 And he said to them, #Matt. 5:15; Luke 11:33“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22#Matt. 10:26; Luke 12:2; [1 Tim. 5:25]For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23#ver. 9If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: #Matt. 7:2; Luke 6:38with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25#See Matt. 13:12For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Parable of the Seed Growing
26And he said, #[Matt. 13:24-30]“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; #[Eccles. 11:5, 6]he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once #Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:15he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 # For ver. 30-32, see Matt. 13:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like #Matt. 17:20; Luke 17:6a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 #
Matt. 13:34 With many such parables he spoke #See ver. 14 the word to them, #John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them #[John 16:25] without a parable, but #ver. 10; [ch. 13:3] privately to his own disciples he #[2 Pet. 1:20]explained everything.
Jesus Calms a Storm
35 # For ver. 35-41, see Matt. 8:18, 23-27; Luke 8:22-25; [John 6:16-21] On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves #[Acts 27:14]were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and #Ps. 104:7; [Luke 4:39] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and #Job 38:11; Ps. 65:7; [ch. 6:51; Matt. 14:32]there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you #John 14:27so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, #[ch. 1:27] “Who then is this, that even #[Luke 5:9]the wind and the sea obey him?”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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S. Mark 4
4
1And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. 2And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, 3Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow: 4and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. 5And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: 6and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 9And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. 11And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them. 13And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? 14The sower soweth the word. 15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. 16And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; 17and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. 18And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, 19and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
21And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? 22For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. 24And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you: and more shall be given unto you. 25For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; 27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. 28The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. 29But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, 32yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof. 33And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it: 34and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.
35And on that day, when even was come, he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side. 36And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. 38And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith? 41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
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