Mark Chapter 4
1 Then Jesus began again to teach by the seaside. There was gathered to Him a great multitude so that He entered a boat and sat out upon the sea, and the whole multitude was on the land by the sea.
2 He taught them many things by parables and said to them in His doctrine:
3 Listen⁺. Behold a sower went out to sow.
4 Now⁺ it came to pass as he sowed that some fell by the wayside and the birds⁺ of the air came and devoured it up.
5 Some fell on stony ground where it did not have much earth. Immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth.
6 But when the Sun was up, it was scorched and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no fruit.
8 Other fell on good ground and yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times more.
9 He said to them: Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
10 Later, when He was alone, those who were around⁺ Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
11 He said to them: Unto you it is given to know the mystery~ of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside⁺, all these things are done in parables
12 so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them. Matthew 13:14
13 He said to them: Do you not understand⁺ this parable? How then will you understand⁺ all the other parables?
14 The sower sows the Word of God.
15 These are the ones by the wayside where the Word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts.
16 These are likewise sown on stony ground and when they hear the Word, they immediately receive it with gladness
17 but they have no root in themselves and so they endure only for a time. Then later⁺, when affliction or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately they are caused⁺ to sin.
18 These are the ones who are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word
19 but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things enter in and choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful.
20 These are the ones who are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred times more.
21 He said to them: Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick?
22 There is nothing hid that will not be revealed⁺. Neither has anything been kept secret~ but that it should eventually become known⁺. Matthew 10:26
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.
24 He said to them: Take heed what you hear. With what gauge⁺ you measure, it will be measured to you. To you who hear, more will be given.
25 For to those who have will more be given and from those who have nothing, from them will be taken away even what they have.
26 Then He said: The kingdom of God is like this: If a man should cast seed into the ground
27 and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up, he does not understand⁺ how.
28 For the earth brings forth fruit by herself: First the blade, then the stalk⁺, and after that the full ear of corn.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, the farmer immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest time has come.
30 Then He said: To what shall we compare⁺ the kingdom of God? Or with what illustration⁺ shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the Earth, is the smallest⁺ of all the seeds in the Earth.
32 But when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs and shoots out great branches so that the birds⁺ of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33 With many such parables He spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable He did not speak to them, and when they were alone, He expounded everything to His disciples.
35 The same day when the evening⁺ had come, He said to them: Let us go⁺ over to the other side.
36 When they had sent away the multitude, they took Him as He was in the boat. And there were other little boats with Him also.
37 Then a great windstorm⁺ arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was now full.
38 Jesus was in the aft⁺ of the boat asleep on a pillow. They awakened Him and said to Him: Master, do you not care that we might perish?
39 He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea: Peace. Be still. And the wind stopped⁺ and there was a great calm.
40 He said to them: Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?
41 And they were exceedingly fearful and said to one another: What kind⁺ of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?