New Heart English Bible

Mark 4

1 And again he began to teach by the seaside. And a large crowd was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. And the whole crowd was on the land by the sea.

2 And then he taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

3 "Listen. Look, the sower who went out to sow.

4 And it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

5 And others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

6 And when the sun came up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth thirty times, and sixty times, and one hundred times."

9 And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

10 And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11 And he said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

12 that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn and be forgiven.'"

13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all of the parables?

14 The farmer sows the word.

15 And these are the ones by the road where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

16 And these in a similar way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

17 And they have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. Then, when oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

18 And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

19 and the cares of the age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 And those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."

21 And he said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not put on a stand?

22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

24 And he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.

25 For whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."

26 And he said, "The Kingdom of God is like someone who scatters seed on the earth,

27 and he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs up and grows; he doesn't know how.

28 The earth bears fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

30 And he said, "To what will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we use for it?

31 It's like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the soil, though it is less than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

32 And when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."

33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

34 And he did not speak to them without a parable; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35 And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."

36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.

37 And a big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

38 And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?"

39 And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace. Be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

41 And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"