Mark 4
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again(A) he began to teach(B) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 He taught them many things in parables,(C) and in his teaching(D) he said to them, 3 ‘Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(E) 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,(F) and the birds came and devoured(G) it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly,(H) since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.(I) 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased(J) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.’(K) 9 Then he said, ‘Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.’(L)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve(M) asked him about the parables.(N) 11 He answered them, ‘The secret(O) of the kingdom of God(P) has been given to you, but to those outside,(Q) everything comes in parables 12 so that
they may indeed look,
and yet not perceive;
they may indeed listen,
and yet not understand;(R)
otherwise, they might turn back
and be forgiven.’[a](S)[b]
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 Then(T) he said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable?(U) How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows(V) the word.(W) 15 Some are like the word sown on the path.(X) When they hear, immediately Satan(Y) comes and takes away the word(Z) sown in them.[c] 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(AA) 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress(AB) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.(AC) 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(AD) of this age,(AE) the deceitfulness[d](AF) of wealth,(AG) and the desires(AH) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(AI) 20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,(AJ) welcome it, and produce fruit(AK) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.’
Using Your Light
21 He(AL) also said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?(AM) Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?(AN) 22 For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed,(AO) and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.’(AP) 24 And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure(AQ) you use,(AR) it will be measured to you – and more will be added(AS) to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’(AT)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 ‘The kingdom of God(AU) is like this,’ he said. ‘A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps(AV) and rises(AW) night(AX) and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop(AY) by itself – first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain(AZ) on the ear. 29 As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,(BA) because the harvest(BB) has come.’
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And(BC) he said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God,(BD) or what parable(BE) can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed(BF) that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown,(BG) it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants,(BH) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky(BI) can nest in its shade.’
Using Parables
33 He was speaking the word(BJ) to them with many parables(BK) like these, as they were able to understand.(BL) 34 He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.(BM)
Wind and Waves Obey Jesus
35 On(BN) that day, when evening had come, he told them, ‘Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.’ 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm(BO) arose, and the waves(BP) were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 He was in the stern, sleeping(BQ) on the cushion. So they woke him up(BR) and said to him, ‘Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die? ’(BS)
39 He got up, rebuked(BT) the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Silence!(BU) Be still! ’ The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid?(BV) Do you still have no faith? ’
41 And they were terrified[e](BW) and asked one another, ‘Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey(BX) him! ’(BY)
Mark 4
Legacy Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
4 (A)And He began to teach again (B)by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that (C)He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in (D)parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and it happened that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And after the sun rose, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no [a]crop. 8 And other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they were yielding a [b]crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “(E)He who has ears to hear, [c]let him hear.”
10 And when He was alone, [d]His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to (F)those who are outside, everything comes (G)in parables, 12 so that (H)while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, lest they return and be forgiven.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 (I)And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately (J)Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way, these are the ones being sown on the rocky places: those who, when hearing the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they [e]fall away. 18 And others are those being sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of (K)the [f]world, and the (L)deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for anything else enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones which were sown on the good soil: they who hear the word and accept it and (M)are bearing fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
21 And He was saying to them, “(N)Is a lamp brought to be put under a [g]basket or under a bed? Is it not to be put on the lampstand? 22 (O)For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 (P)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Beware what you listen to. [h](Q)By your standard of measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you. 25 (R)For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Seed
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the grain [i]is ripe, he immediately [j](S)puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 (T)And He was saying, “How shall we (U)compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is [k]smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes [l]largest of all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that (V)the birds of the [m]air can nest under its shade.”
33 And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 and He was not speaking to them (W)without a parable; but He was (X)explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Jesus Calms a Storm
35 (Y)And on that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 [n]And leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them (Z)in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And a great windstorm *arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling up. 38 And Jesus Himself was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion; and they *got Him up and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He woke up and (AA)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still.” And the wind died down and [o]it became [p]perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you so cowardly? (AB)Do you still have no faith?” 41 And they became [q]very afraid and were saying to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:7 Lit fruit
- Mark 4:8 Lit fruit
- Mark 4:9 Or hear!, listen!; Gr imperative
- Mark 4:10 Lit those about Him
- Mark 4:17 Lit are caused to stumble
- Mark 4:19 Or age
- Mark 4:21 Or peck-measure
- Mark 4:24 Lit By what measure you measure
- Mark 4:29 Lit permits
- Mark 4:29 Lit sends forth
- Mark 4:31 Lit smaller
- Mark 4:32 Lit larger
- Mark 4:32 Or sky
- Mark 4:36 Or Sending away
- Mark 4:39 Lit a great calm occurred
- Mark 4:39 Or greatly, cf. 4:37
- Mark 4:41 Or greatly, cf. 4:37
Mark 4
New International Reader's Version
The Story of the Farmer
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was very large. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it out on the lake. All the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things using stories. In his teaching he said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4 He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. 7 Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears should listen.”
10 Later Jesus was alone. The 12 disciples asked him about the stories. So did the others around him. 11 He told them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you. But to outsiders everything is told using stories. 12 In that way,
“ ‘They will see but never know what they are seeing.
They will hear but never understand.
Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ” (Isaiah 6:9,10)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this story? Then how will you understand any stories of this kind? 14 The seed the farmer plants is God’s message. 15 What is seed scattered on a path like? The message is planted. The people hear the message. Then Satan comes. He takes away the message that was planted in them. 16 And what is seed scattered on rocky places like? The people hear the message. At once they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. 18 And what is seed scattered among thorns like? The people hear the message. 19 But then the worries of this life come to them. Wealth comes with its false promises. The people also long for other things. All of these are the kinds of things that crowd out the message. They keep it from producing fruit. 20 And what is seed scattered on good soil like? The people hear the message. They accept it. They produce a good crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 Jesus said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don’t you put it on its stand? 22 What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 Whoever has ears should listen.”
24 “Think carefully about what you hear,” he said. “As you give, so you will receive. In fact, you will receive even more. 25 Whoever has something will be given more. Whoever has nothing, even what they have will be taken away from them.”
The Story of the Growing Seed
26 Jesus also said, “Here is what God’s kingdom is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day the seed comes up and grows. It happens whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. He doesn’t know how it happens. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up. Then the head appears. Finally, the full grain appears in the head. 29 Before long the grain ripens. So the farmer cuts it down, because the harvest is ready.”
The Story of the Mustard Seed
30 Again Jesus said, “What can we say God’s kingdom is like? What story can we use to explain it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 But when you plant the seed, it grows. It becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade.”
33 Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. 37 A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. 38 Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He 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? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?”
41 They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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