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
1599 Geneva Bible
4 4 The parable of the sower. 14 And the meaning thereof. 18 Thorns. 21 The candle. 26 Of him that sowed, and then slept. 31 The grain of mustard seed. 38 Christ sleepeth in the ship.
1 And (A)he began again to teach by the [a]seaside, and there gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat [b]in the sea, and all the people was by the seaside on the land.
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 [c]Hearken: Behold, there went out a sower to sow.
4 And it came to pass as he sowed, that some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the heaven came, and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and by and by sprang up, because it had not depth of earth.
6 But as soon as the Sun was up, it was burnt up, and because it had not root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, so that it gave no fruit.
8 Some again fell in good ground, and did yield fruit that sprung up, and grew, and it brought forth, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some an hundredfold.
9 Then he said unto them, He that hath ears, to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was [d]alone, they that were [e]about him with the twelve, asked him of the parable.
11 And he said unto them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are [f]without, all things be done in parables,
12 (B)That they seeing, may see, and not discern: and they hearing, may hear, and not understand, lest at any time they should turn, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 Again he said unto them, Perceive ye not this parable? how then should ye understand all other parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they that receive the seed by the wayside, in whom the word is sown: but when they have heard it, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And likewise they that receive the seed in stony ground, are they, which when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with gladness.
17 Yet have they no root in themselves, and endure but a time: for when trouble and persecution ariseth for the word, immediately they be offended.
18 Also they that receive the seed among the thorns, are such as hear the word:
19 But the cares [g]of this world, and the (C)deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things enter in, and choke the word, and it is unfruitful.
20 But they that have received seed in good ground, are they that hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit: one corn thirty, another sixty, and some an hundred.
21 ¶ [h]Also he said unto them, (D)Cometh the candle in, to be put under a bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put in a candlestick?
22 (E)For there is nothing hid, that shall not be opened, neither is there a secret, but that it shall come to light.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24 [i]And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear. (F)With what measure you mete, it shall be measured unto you: and unto you that hear, shall more be given.
25 (G)For unto him that hath, shall it be given, and from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that he hath.
26 ¶ [j]Also he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed in the ground.
27 And [k]should sleep, and rise up night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he [l]not knowing how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit [m]of itself, first the blade, then the ears, after that full corn in the ears.
29 And as soon as the fruit showeth itself, anon he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 ¶ (H)[n]He said moreover, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth, is the least of all seeds that be in the earth:
32 But after that it is sown, it groweth up, and is greatest of all herbs, and beareth great branches, so that the fowls of the heaven may build under the shadow of it.
33 And (I)with many such parables he preached the word unto them, [o]as they were able to hear it.
34 And without parables spake he nothing unto them: but he [p]expounded all things to his disciples apart.
35 ¶ (J)Now the same day when even was come, he said unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And they left the multitude, and took him as he was in the ship, and there was also with him other little ships.
37 [q]And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves dashed into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the stern asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, and said to him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose up, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, and be still. So the wind ceased, and it was a great calm.
40 Then he said unto them, [r]Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who is this, that both the wind and sea obey him?
Footnotes
- Mark 4:1 Seaside of Tiberias.
- Mark 4:1 In a ship which was launched into the sea.
- Mark 4:3 The selfsame doctrine of the Gospel is sown everywhere, but it hath not like success indeed through the fault of man, but yet by the just judgment of God.
- Mark 4:10 Word for word, solitary.
- Mark 4:10 They that followed him at the heels.
- Mark 4:11 That is to say, to strangers, and such as are none of ours.
- Mark 4:19 Which pertain to this life.
- Mark 4:21 Although the light of the Gospel be rejected of the world, yet it ought to be lighted, if it were for no other cause than this, that the wickedness of the world might be made manifest.
- Mark 4:24 The more liberally that we communicate such gifts as God hath given us with our brethren, the more bountiful will God be toward us.
- Mark 4:26 The Lord soweth and reapeth after a manner unknown to men.
- Mark 4:27 That is, when he hath done sowing, should pass the time both day and night, nothing doubting, but that the seed would spring which groweth both day and night.
- Mark 4:27 It is the part of the ministers, to labor the ground with all diligence, and commend the success to God: for that mighty working whereby the seed cometh to blade and ear, is secret and only known by the fruit.
- Mark 4:28 By a certain power which moveth itself.
- Mark 4:30 God far otherwise than men use, beginneth with the least, and endeth with the greatest.
- Mark 4:33 According to the capacity of the hearers.
- Mark 4:34 Word for word, Loosed, as you would say, read them the hard riddles.
- Mark 4:37 They that sail with Christ, although he seems to sleep never so soundly when they are in danger, yet they are preserved of him in time convenient, being awakened.
- Mark 4:40 How cometh it to pass that you have no faith?
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
