Mark 4:26-41

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Seed Growing

²⁶ And he said, ^(A)“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. ²⁷ He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; ^(B)he knows not how. ²⁸ The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once ^(C)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

^30 (D)And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? ³¹ It is like ^(E)a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, ³² yet 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 (F)With many such parables he spoke ^(G)the word to them, ^(H)as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ He did not speak to them ^(I)without a parable, but ^(J)privately to his own disciples he ^(K)explained everything.

Jesus Calms a Storm

^35 (L)On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves ^(M)were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But 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?” ³⁹ And he awoke and ^(N)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and ^(O)there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you ^(P)so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ^(Q)“Who then is this, that even ^(R)the wind and the sea obey him?”