Mark 4
New International Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(D) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(E) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(F)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(G)
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(I) everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”(J)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(K) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(N) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(O) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(P)
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(Q) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(R)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(T)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(U)
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(W) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm(Y)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(Z) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(AA)
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10
Marcos 4
Nueva Versión Internacional
Parábola del sembrador(A)(B)
4 De nuevo comenzó Jesús a enseñar a la orilla del lago. La multitud que se reunió para verlo era tan grande que él subió a una barca en el lago y allí se sentó, mientras toda la gente se quedaba en la orilla. 2 Entonces se puso a enseñarles muchas cosas por medio de parábolas y, como parte de su instrucción, les dijo: 3 «¡Pongan atención! Un sembrador salió a sembrar. 4 Sucedió que, al esparcir él las semillas, una parte cayó junto al camino, llegaron los pájaros y se la comieron. 5 Otra parte cayó en terreno pedregoso, sin mucha tierra. Esas semillas brotaron pronto porque la tierra no era profunda; 6 pero cuando salió el sol, las plantas se marchitaron y por no tener raíz se secaron. 7 Otra parte de las semillas cayó entre espinos que, al crecer, ahogaron las plantas y no dieron fruto. 8 Pero las otras semillas cayeron en buen terreno. Brotaron, crecieron y produjeron una cosecha que rindió hasta treinta, sesenta y cien veces más.
9 »El que tenga oídos para oír, que oiga», añadió Jesús.
10 Cuando se quedó solo, los doce y los que estaban alrededor de él hicieron preguntas sobre las parábolas.
11 Él contestó:
«A ustedes se les ha concedido conocer el misterio del reino de Dios; pero a los de afuera todo les llega por medio de parábolas, 12 para que
»“por mucho que vean, no perciban;
por mucho que oigan, no entiendan;
no sea que se conviertan y sean perdonados”.[a]
13 »¿No entienden esta parábola? —continuó Jesús—. ¿Cómo podrán, entonces, entender las demás? 14 El sembrador siembra la palabra. 15 Algunos son como lo sembrado junto al camino, donde se siembra la palabra. Tan pronto como la oyen, viene Satanás y les quita la palabra sembrada en ellos. 16 Otros son como lo sembrado en terreno pedregoso: cuando oyen la palabra, de inmediato la reciben con alegría, 17 pero como no tienen raíz, duran poco tiempo. Cuando surgen problemas o persecución a causa de la palabra, enseguida se apartan de ella. 18 Otros son como lo sembrado entre espinos: oyen la palabra, 19 pero las preocupaciones de esta vida, el engaño de las riquezas y muchos otros malos deseos entran hasta ahogar la palabra, de modo que esta no llega a dar fruto. 20 Pero otros son como lo sembrado en buen terreno: oyen la palabra, la aceptan y producen una cosecha que rinde treinta, sesenta y hasta cien veces más».
Una lámpara en una repisa
21 También dijo: «¿Acaso se trae una lámpara para ponerla debajo de una vasija o debajo de la cama? ¿No es, por el contrario, para ponerla en un candelero? 22 No hay nada escondido que no esté destinado a descubrirse; tampoco hay nada oculto que no esté destinado a ser revelado públicamente. 23 El que tenga oídos para oír, que oiga.
24 »Pongan mucha atención —añadió—. Con la medida con que midan a otros, se les medirá a ustedes y aún más se les añadirá. 25 Al que tiene se le dará más; al que no tiene hasta lo que tiene se le quitará».
Parábola de la semilla que crece
26 Jesús continuó: «El reino de Dios se parece a quien esparce semilla en la tierra. 27 Sin que este sepa cómo, y ya sea que duerma o esté despierto, día y noche brota y crece la semilla. 28 La tierra da fruto por sí sola; primero el tallo, luego la espiga y después el grano lleno en la espiga. 29 Tan pronto como el grano está maduro, se mete la hoz, pues ha llegado el tiempo de la cosecha».
Parábola del grano de mostaza(C)
30 También dijo: «¿Con qué vamos a comparar el reino de Dios? ¿Qué parábola podemos usar para describirlo? 31 Es como una semilla de mostaza: cuando se siembra en la tierra, es la semilla más pequeña que hay, 32 pero una vez sembrada crece hasta convertirse en la más grande de las hortalizas, y echa ramas tan grandes que las aves pueden anidar bajo su sombra».
33 Y con muchas parábolas semejantes les enseñaba Jesús la palabra hasta donde podían entender. 34 No decía nada sin emplear parábolas. Pero cuando estaba a solas con sus discípulos, les explicaba todo.
Jesús calma la tormenta(D)
35 Ese día al anochecer dijo a sus discípulos:
—Crucemos al otro lado.
36 Dejaron a la multitud y se lo llevaron en la barca donde estaba. También lo acompañaban otras barcas. 37 Se desató entonces una fuerte tormenta y las olas azotaban tanto la barca que ya comenzaba a inundarse. 38 Mientras tanto, Jesús estaba en la popa, durmiendo sobre un cabezal, así que los discípulos lo despertaron.
—¡Maestro! —gritaron—, ¿no te importa que nos ahoguemos?
39 Él se levantó, reprendió al viento y ordenó al mar:
—¡Silencio! ¡Cálmate!
El viento se calmó y todo quedó completamente tranquilo.
40 —¿Por qué tienen tanto miedo? —dijo a sus discípulos—. ¿Todavía[b] no tienen fe?
41 Ellos estaban espantados y se decían unos a otros:
—¿Quién es este que hasta el viento y el mar le obedecen?
Mark 4
New King James Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)
4 And (B)again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, (C)and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds [a]of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and 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 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no [b]crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said [c]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(D)
10 (E)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to (F)know the [d]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to (G)those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
(H)‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”
The Parable of the Sower Explained(I)
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 (J)The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the (K)cares of this world, (L)the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, [e]accept it, and bear (M)fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Light Under a Basket(N)
21 (O)Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 (P)For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 (Q)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. (R)With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 (S)For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 And He said, (T)“The kingdom of God is as if a man should [f]scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and (U)grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth (V)yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately (W)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(X)
30 Then He said, (Y)“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Jesus’ Use of Parables
33 (Z)And 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, (AA)He explained all things to His disciples.
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(AB)
35 (AC)On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, (AD)“Teacher, (AE)do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and (AF)rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, (AG)“Peace,[g] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? (AH)How[h] is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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