Mark 4
The Message
The Story of the Scattered Seed
4 1-2 He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many stories.
3-8 “Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.
9 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
10-12 When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward a welcome awakening. These are people—
Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”
13 He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.
14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
20 “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”
Giving, Not Getting
21-22 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a bucket or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.
23 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?
24-25 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”
Never Without a Story
26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
30-32 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It’s like an acorn. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge oak tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”
33-34 With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
The Wind Ran Out of Breath
35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”
39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”
41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”
Марк 4
Библия, ревизирано издание
Притча за сеяча
4 (A)И Исус пак започна да поучава край езерото. И при Него се събра едно твърде голямо множество, така че Той влезе в една ладия и седна[a]; а цялото множество беше на сушата край езерото.
2 (B)И ги поучаваше много с притчи и им казваше в поучението Си:
3 Слушайте: Ето, сеячът излезе да сее.
4 И когато сееше, някои зърна паднаха край пътя; и птиците дойдоха и ги изкълваха.
5 Други паднаха на скалисто място, където нямаше много пръст, и скоро поникнаха, защото нямаше дълбока почва;
6 а когато изгря слънцето, прегоряха и понеже нямаха корен, изсъхнаха.
7 И други паднаха между тръните; и тръните пораснаха и ги задушиха, и не дадоха плод.
8 (C)А другите паднаха на добра земя и дадоха плод, който растеше и се умножаваше, и принесоха – кое тридесет, кое шестдесет и кое сто.
9 И каза: Който има уши да слуша, нека слуша.
10 (D)И когато Исус остана сам, онези, които бяха около Него с дванадесетте, Го попитаха за притчите.
11 (E)Той им каза: На вас е дадено да познаете тайната на Божието царство; а на онези, външните, всичко се дава в притчи;
12 (F)така че гледащи да гледат, а да не виждат, и слушащи да слушат, а да не разбират, да не би да се обърнат и да им се прости грехът.
13 И им каза: Не разбирате ли тази притча? А как ще разберете всички притчи?
14 (G)Сеячът сее Словото.
15 А онези край пътя, където се сее Словото, са тези, които, като чуят, Сатана веднага идва и грабва посятото в тях Слово.
16 (H)Също и посятото на скалистите места са тези, които, като чуят Словото, веднага с радост го приемат;
17 нямат обаче корен в себе си, но са привременни; после, като настане напаст или гонение заради Словото, веднага се съблазняват.
18 Посятото между тръните са други; те са онези, които са слушали Словото,
19 (I)но светските грижи, примамката на богатството и пожеланията за други работи, като влязат, заглушават Словото и то става безплодно.
20 А посятото на добрата земя са тези, които слушат Словото, приемат го и дават плод – тридесет, шестдесет и стократно.
Светилото и светилникът
21 (J)И им каза: Затова ли се донася светилото, за да го сложат под шиника или под леглото? Не е ли затова, да го поставят на светилника?
22 (K)Защото няма нещо тайно, което да не стане явно; нито е било скрито нещо, освен за да излезе наяве.
23 (L)Ако има някой уши да слуша, нека слуша.
24 (M)Каза им също: Внимавайте в това, което слушате. С каквато мярка мерите, с такава ще ви се отмери и ще ви се прибави.
25 (N)Защото, който има, на него ще се даде, а който няма, от него ще се отнеме и това, което има.
Божието Царство е като посято семе, което израства само̀
26 (O)И каза: Божието царство е, както когато човек, който хвърли семе в земята;
27 и спи и става нощ и ден; а как никне и расте семето, той не знае.
28 Земята от само себе си произвежда, първо стрък, после клас, след това пълно зърно в класа.
29 (P)А когато узрее плодът, начаса изпраща сърп, защото е настанала жътва.
Притча за синаповото зърно
30 (Q)Каза още: На какво да оприличим Божието царство или с каква притча да го представим?
31 То прилича на синапово зърно, което, когато се посее в земята, е по-малко от всички семена, които са на земята;
32 (R)но когато бъде посято, расте и става по-голямо от всички градински растения, и пуска големи клони, така че под сянката му могат да се подслонят небесните птици.
33 (S)И с много такива притчи им проповядваше Словото, както можеха да слушат.
34 А без притча не им говореше; но насаме обясняваше всичко на Своите ученици.
Исус укротява бурята
35 (T)И в същия ден, когато се свечери, Исус им каза: Да минем на отсрещната страна.
36 И като отпратиха народа, взеха Го със себе си в лодката, така както беше; и имаше други ладии с Него.
37 И се разрази голяма буря и вълните заливаха лодката, така че тя вече се пълнеше с вода.
38 А Той беше на задната част, заспал на възглавница; и те Го събудиха и Му казаха: Учителю! Нима не Те е грижа, че загиваме?
39 (U)И Той, като се събуди, смъмри вятъра и каза на езерото: Мълчи! Утихни! И вятърът престана и настана голяма тишина.
40 Тогава им каза: Защо сте страхливи? Още ли нямате вяра?
41 И голям страх ги обзе; и те си казаха един на друг: Кой ли е Този, че и вятърът, и езерото Му се покоряват?
Footnotes
- 4:1 От гр. седеше в езерото.
Mark 4
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 ‘Listen! 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 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.’ 9 And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
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; 12 in order that
“they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.”’
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. 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 world, 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. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ 24 And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 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.’
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? 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; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
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. 37 A great gale 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 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! 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?’ 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright by © Българско библейско дружество 2015. Използвани с разрешение.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.