马可福音 4
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
撒种的比喻(A)
4 耶稣又在海边教导人。有一大群人聚集到他那里，因此他上船坐下来。船在海中，群众都朝着海站在岸上。 2 他用比喻教训他们许多事，在教训中他说： 3 “你们听着！有一个撒种的出去撒种， 4 撒的时候，有的落在路旁，小鸟飞来就吃掉了。 5 有的落在泥土不多的石地上，因为泥土不深，很快就长起来。 6 但太阳一出来，就把它晒干，又因为没有根就枯萎了。 7 有的落在荆棘里，荆棘长起来，把它挤住，它就结不出果实来。 8 有的落在好土里，就生长繁茂，结出果实，有三十倍的、有六十倍的、有一百倍的。” 9 耶稣又说：“有耳可听的，就应当听。”
用比喻的目的(B)
10 耶稣独自一人的时候，那些经常跟着他的人和十二门徒，来问这些比喻的意义。 11 耶稣对他们说：“ 神的国的奥秘，只给你们知道，但对于外人，一切都用比喻， 12 叫他们
‘看是看见了，却不领悟，
听是听见了，却不明白，
免得他们回转过来，得到赦免。’”
解释撒种的比喻(C)
13 耶稣又对他们说：“你们不明白这个比喻，怎能明白一切比喻呢？ 14 撒种的人所撒的就是道。 15 那撒在路旁的，就是人听了道，撒但立刻来，把撒在他心里的道夺去。 16 照样，那撒在石地上的，就是人听了道，立刻欢欢喜喜地接受了； 17 可是他们里面没有根，只是暂时的；一旦为道遭遇患难，受到迫害，就立刻跌倒了。 18 那撒在荆棘里的，是指另一些人；他们听了道， 19 然而今世的忧虑、财富的迷惑，以及种种的欲望，接连进来，把道挤住，就结不出果实来。 20 那撒在好土里的，就是人听了道，接受了，并且结出果实，有三十倍的、有六十倍的、有一百倍的。”
隐藏的事终必显露(D)
21 耶稣又对他们说：“灯难道是拿来放在量器底下或床底下的吗？它不是该放在灯台上吗？ 22 因为没有甚么隐藏的事不被显明出来，没有甚么掩盖的事不被揭露的。 23 有耳可听的，就应当听。”
24 耶稣又对他们说：“要留心你们所听到的，你们用甚么尺度量给人， 神也要用甚么尺度量给你们，并且要超过尺度给你们。 25 因为那有的，还要给他；那没有的，就算他有甚么也要拿去。”
种子发芽生长的比喻
26 耶稣说：“ 神的国好象人在地里撒种， 27 他夜里睡觉，白天起来，种子发芽生长，自己也不知道怎么会这样的。 28 地生五谷是自然的，先长苗，后吐穗，最后穗上结满了子粒。 29 庄稼熟了，就派人用镰刀割下，因为收成的时候到了。”
芥菜种的比喻(E)
30 又说：“我们要把 神的国比作甚么呢？我们可以用甚么比喻来形容它呢？ 31 它好象一粒芥菜种，刚种下去的时候，比地上的一切种子都小， 32 种下以后，生长起来，却比一切蔬菜都大，长出大枝子，甚至天空的飞鸟都可以在它的荫下搭窝。”
33 耶稣用许多这样的比喻，照着他们所能听懂的，向他们讲道； 34 不用比喻，就不对他们讲。只有单独和自己的门徒在一起的时候，才把一切解释给他们听。
平静风浪(F)
35 当天黄昏，耶稣对门徒说：“我们渡到海那边去吧。” 36 门徒离开群众，耶稣已经在船上，他们就载他过去，也有别的船和他同去。 37 忽然起了狂风，波浪不断地打进船来，舱里积满了水。 38 耶稣却在船尾靠着枕头睡着了。门徒把他叫醒，对他说：“老师，我们要死了，你不管吗？” 39 耶稣起来，斥责了风，又对海说：“不要作声！安静吧！”风就停止，大大地平静了。 40 然后对他们说：“为甚么这样胆怯呢？你们怎么没有信心呢？” 41 门徒非常惧怕，彼此说：“这到底是谁，连风和海都听从他？”
馬可福音 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
撒種的比喻
4 耶穌又到湖邊講道，周圍聚集了許多人，耶穌只好上到湖邊的船上坐下，眾人都站在岸上。 2 耶穌用比喻教導他們許多事，在教導中祂說： 3 「聽著！有一個農夫出去撒種。 4 撒種的時候，有些種子落在路旁，被飛鳥吃掉了； 5 有些落在石頭地上，因為泥土不深，種子很快就發芽了， 6 然而因為沒有根，被太陽一曬就枯萎了； 7 有些落在荊棘叢中，荊棘長起來便把嫩苗擠住了，以致不能結實； 8 有些落在沃土裡，就發芽生長，結出果實，收成多達三十倍、六十倍、一百倍！」 9 然後祂說：「有耳可聽的，都應當聽。」
10 當耶穌獨自一人的時候，十二使徒和追隨祂的人來請教比喻的意思。 11 耶穌說：「上帝國的奧祕只讓你們知道，對於外人，我只用比喻， 12 使他們『看了又看，卻不領悟；聽了又聽，卻不明白，免得他們回心轉意，得到赦免。』」
13 耶穌又對他們說：「你們不明白這個比喻，又怎能明白其他比喻呢？ 14 農夫撒的是上帝的道。 15 種子落在路旁，是指人聽了道，撒旦立刻過來奪去了撒在他們心裡的道。 16 種子落在石頭地上，是指人聽了道後，立刻歡喜地接受了， 17 但他們心裡沒有根基，不過是暫時接受，一旦為道遭受患難和迫害，就立刻放棄了。 18 種子落在荊棘叢中，是指人雖然聽過道， 19 但生活的憂慮、錢財的迷惑和其他慾望把道擠住了，以致不能結出果實。 20 種子落在沃土裡，是指人聽了道，領受了，又結出果實，收成多達三十倍、六十倍、甚至一百倍。」
燈的比喻
21 耶穌繼續說：「人會把燈拿來放在籃子底下或床底下嗎？當然不會，他一定會把它放在燈臺上。 22 隱藏的事是不能掩蓋的，終會顯露出來。 23 有耳可聽的，就應當聽。」 24 耶穌又說：「要好好思想你們所聽到的，你們用什麼量器量給人，就用什麼量器量給你們，甚至要多給你們。 25 因為凡有的，還要給他更多；凡沒有的，連他僅有的也要奪去！」
種子生長的比喻
26 祂又說：「上帝的國就像一個人在地上撒種。 27 他天天日出而作，日落而息。種子就在他不知不覺中漸漸發芽長大。 28 大地會使種子生長，先發苗後吐穗，最終結出飽滿的籽粒。 29 莊稼成熟後，他就拿起鐮刀來收割，因為收成的時候到了。」
芥菜種的比喻
30 耶穌說：「我們拿什麼比作上帝的國呢？用什麼比喻來解釋呢？ 31 上帝的國就像一粒芥菜種。它是種子中最小的， 32 但種在地裡，卻能長得比各樣蔬菜都大，有粗大的枝條，可以讓飛鳥在它的樹蔭中築巢。」
33 耶穌用了許多類似的比喻，按照眾人所能領悟的，把上帝的道講給他們聽。 34 祂總是用比喻對他們講論，只有單獨和門徒在一起的時候，才把一切解釋清楚。
平息風浪
35 那天晚上，耶穌對門徒說：「我們渡到對面去吧。」 36 他們就離開眾人，上了耶穌乘坐的船，一起渡到湖的對岸，還有其他船隻跟著去。 37 忽然，湖面上狂風大作，波浪撞擊船身，船內幾乎灌滿了水。 38 耶穌卻還在船尾枕著枕頭睡覺。門徒叫醒了祂，說：「老師，我們快淹死了，你怎麼不管呢？」
39 耶穌起來斥責狂風，對著湖面說：「靜下來！停下來！」於是就風平浪靜了。 40 祂對門徒說：「你們為什麼這樣害怕呢？你們還是沒有信心嗎？」
41 他們極其害怕，彼此議論說：「祂到底是誰？連風浪都聽祂的！」
Mark 4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.(A) 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:(B) 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”(C) 9 And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(D)
The Purpose of the Parables
10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret[a] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything comes in parables,(E) 12 in order that
‘they may indeed look but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ ”(F)
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.(G) 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[b] 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the age and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
A Lamp under a Bushel Basket
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.(H) 23 If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(I) 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and it will be added to you.(J) 25 For to those who have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”(K)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground(L) 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”(M)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?(N) 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
The Use of Parables
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it;(O) 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.(P)
Jesus Stills a Storm
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.(Q) 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”(R) 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
The Parable of the Sower. 1 [a]On another occasion(A) he began to teach by the sea.[b] A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.(B) 2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3 [c]“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables. 10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11 [d]He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’”(C)
13 [e]Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?(D) Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Parable of the Lamp. 21 (E)He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?(F) 22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.(G) 23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” 24 He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.(H) 25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”(I)
Seed Grows of Itself. 26 He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God;[f] it is as if a man were to scatter seed(J) on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
The Mustard Seed. 30 (K)He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 [g]But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” 33 With many such parables(L) he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
The Calming of a Storm at Sea. 35 [h]On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.”(M) 36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”[i] The wind ceased and there was great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 [j](N)They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Footnotes
- 4:1–34 In parables (Mk 4:2): see note on Mt 13:3. The use of parables is typical of Jesus’ enigmatic method of teaching the crowds (Mk 4:2–9, 12) as compared with the interpretation of the parables he gives to his disciples (Mk 4:10–25, 33–34) to each group according to its capacity to understand (Mk 4:9–11). The key feature of the parable at hand is the sowing of the seed (Mk 4:3), representing the breakthrough of the kingdom of God into the world. The various types of soil refer to the diversity of response accorded the word of God (Mk 4:4–7). The climax of the parable is the harvest of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, indicating the consummation of the kingdom (Mk 4:8). Thus both the present and the future action of God, from the initiation to the fulfillment of the kingdom, is presented through this and other parables (Mk 4:26–29, 30–32).
- 4:1 By the sea: the shore of the Sea of Galilee or a boat near the shore (Mk 2:13; 3:7–8) is the place where Mark depicts Jesus teaching the crowds. By contrast the mountain is the scene of Jesus at prayer (Mk 6:46) or in the process of forming his disciples (Mk 3:13; 9:2).
- 4:3–8 See note on Mt 13:3–8.
- 4:11–12 These verses are to be viewed against their background in Mk 3:6, 22 concerning the unbelief and opposition Jesus encountered in his ministry. It is against this background that the distinction in Jesus’ method becomes clear of presenting the kingdom to the disbelieving crowd in one manner and to the disciples in another. To the former it is presented in parables and the truth remains hidden; for the latter the parable is interpreted and the mystery is partially revealed because of their faith; see notes on Mt 13:11 and Mt 13:13.
- 4:13–20 See note on Mt 13:18–23.
- 4:26–29 Only Mark records the parable of the seed’s growth. Sower and harvester are the same. The emphasis is on the power of the seed to grow of itself without human intervention (Mk 4:27). Mysteriously it produces blade and ear and full grain (Mk 4:28). Thus the kingdom of God initiated by Jesus in proclaiming the word develops quietly yet powerfully until it is fully established by him at the final judgment (Mk 4:29); cf. Rev 14:15.
- 4:32 The universality of the kingdom of God is indicated here; cf. Ez 17:23; 31:6; Dn 4:17–19.
- 4:35–5:43 After the chapter on parables, Mark narrates four miracle stories: Mk 4:35–41; 5:1–20; and two joined together in Mk 5:21–43. See also notes on Mt 8:23–34 and 9:8–26.
- 4:39 Quiet! Be still!: as in the case of silencing a demon (Mk 1:25), Jesus rebukes the wind and subdues the turbulence of the sea by a mere word; see note on Mt 8:26.
- 4:41 Jesus is here depicted as exercising power over wind and sea. In the Christian community this event was seen as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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