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!”
Mark 4
Hawai‘i Pidgin
Da Story Bout Da Farma Dat Plant Seed
4 Anodda time Jesus wen teach by da lake. Plenny peopo wen come aroun him, so he go inside one boat, an sit down dea. Da boat stay inside da lake. Da peopo, dey stay standing on da beach. 2 He use plenny stories fo teach um. Dis wat he say:
3 “Listen! You guys wen hear da story bout da farma guy? 4 He go throw seeds fo plant. Some fall down by da trail, an da birds go eat um up. 5 Some fall down on top da rocks wea had ony litto bit dirt. Da plants grow up fast, no matta ony litto bit dirt dea. 6 But wen da sun come up, da plants dry up, cuz no mo root. 7 Odda seed, dey fall down inside da kine bushes wit thorns. Da bushes grow up, an choke um, so no mo wheat. 8 Odda seed, dey fall down inside da good dirt, an dey grow up good, an come up plenny. Some seed, dey give back thirty times moa, some odda seed give back sixty times moa, an some seed even give back hundred times moa.”
9 Jesus say, “If you guys hear dis, den listen!”
How Come Jesus Teach Wit Stories?
10 Wen Jesus stay by himself wit da peopo who stay dea, an da twelve guys he was teaching, dey wen aks him wat da stories mean. 11 So he say, “God let you guys know all da stuff bout how he stay King. But da odda peopo on da outside, I teach um wit stories.
12 Dass fo make happen jalike Isaiah wen tell dat God say,
‘Dey see wat I stay do, but dey no can see fo real.
Dey hear wat I say, but dey no can hear fo real.
If dey really wen see an hear,
Den dey goin change,
An I goin let um go an hemo dea shame
Fo all da bad kine stuff dey wen do.’ ”
Wat Da Story Mean
13 Jesus aks dem, “You guys no undastan dis story? Den how you guys goin undastan da odda stories?
14 “Da farma plant da seed. He jalike da guy dat tell wat God say.
15 “Da seed dat fall down by da trail, dass jalike wen one guy hear wat God say, an right den an dea da Devil come an make da guy so he no can rememba wat he wen hear.
16 “Da seed dat fall down on top da rocks, dass jalike wen one guy hear wat God say, an right den an dea he stay plenny good inside. 17 But da guy, he jalike da plant dat no mo root inside him. He stick wit um fo litto wile. But wen get trouble, o wen da peopo make him suffa cuz he wen trus da stuff he wen hear, da guy give up right den an dea.
18 “Da seed dat fall down inside da kine bushes wit thorns, dass jalike wen one guy hear wat God say, 19 but bumbye da guy worry bout all da stuffs he need hea inside dis world. He like come rich, an all dat throw him off. So all dat stuff choke out all da tings God say dat was inside him. He no can do da right tings, jalike one wheat plant dat no can give wheat, growing inside da kine bushes wit thorns.
20 “Da seed dat fall down inside da good dirt, dass jalike wen one guy hear wat God say an trus um. He do da right tings, jalike da good plant dat give wheat. All da good stuff da guy do, he do um thirty times moa, some guys do um sixty times moa, an some odda guys hundred times moa.”
Da Lamp On Top Da Shelf
21 Den Jesus aks dem, “Eh, try tell me dis. You bring da lamp fo cover um up? O you put um unda da bed? Nah! You goin put um on top da shelf so you can see, yeah? 22 Kay den, wateva you no undastan now, you goin undastan bumbye. 23 If you guys hear dis, den listen!”
24 He tell um dis too: “Tink real good bout wat you hear. If you do dat, God goin give you even mo fo know. 25 If you guys undastan all da kine stuff, den God goin tell you moa. But if you guys no like know all dat stuff, den God goin make you no rememba even da litto bit you know now.”
Nobody Know How Da Seeds Grow, But Dey Grow
26 Jesus tell um anodda story. He say: “Wen God stay King, dass jalike one farma dat throw da seed all ova da groun. 27 Nite an day, no matta he sleep o get up, da plant goin poke da head up from da groun an goin grow, even if da guy donno how. 28 Da dirt no need nobody fo help um make da wheat. First da stalk come, den da head, den da food inside da head. 29 Wen da wheat come ripe, da farma cut um wit da sickle, cuz dey stay ready.”
Da Story Bout Da Mustard Seed
30 Jesus tell um anodda story. “God, he stay King. Wat story I can tell you guys so you guys can undastan? 31 Wen God stay King, dass jalike one mustard seed. Dat seed mo small den all da odda seeds, you know. If get one guy plant um inside his field, 32 an da seed grow, da plant come mo big den all da odda plants in da garden. Da branches so big, da birds from da sky can sit on top um in da shade!”
Jesus Ony Teach Dem Wit Stories
33 Jesus teach da peopo wit plenny stories lidat. He ony tell dem stuff dey can undastan. 34 He neva teach dem odda stuff, ony wit stories. But every time he wen stay ony wit da guys he teaching, he tell dem wat da stories mean.
Jesus Make Da Storm Pau
35 Dat time afta da sun go down, Jesus wen tell his guys, “Eh, we go da odda side da lake.” 36 Dey wen leave all da peopo, an Jesus guys take him inside da boat. Had odda boats dea too. 37 Den had one big storm ova dea, an da waves was bussing ova da boat, so da boat almos wen huli. 38 But Jesus still yet stay sleeping in da back on one pillow. His guys wen go wake him up, an tell him, “Eh, Teacha! You no care we goin mahke, o wat?”
39 Jesus get up, an scold da wind an da waves. He say, “Quiet! No move aroun!” Den da wind wen pau an da waves wen come nice. 40 An he tell his guys, “How come you guys scared? You guys no trus me, o wat?”
41 Dey so scared, dey wen tell each odda, “Eh, wat kine guy dis? Even da wind an da waves do wat he tell um!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2000 by Wycliffe Bible Translators International. All rights reserved