Mark 4-5

Christian Standard Bible

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

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 head, and then the full grain^(AZ) on the head. 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)

Demons Driven Out by Jesus

5 They^(BZ) came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[f] 2} As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean^(CA) spirit^(CB) came out of the tombs^(CC) and met him. ³ He lived in the tombs,^(CD) and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain^(CE)— ⁴ because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed^(CF) the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue^(CG) him. ⁵ Night^(CH) and day among the tombs^(CI) and on the mountains,^(CJ) he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. ⁷ And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son^(CK) of the Most High God?^(CL) I beg you before God, don’t torment^(CM) me!” ⁸ For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean^(CN) spirit!”^(CO)

⁹ “What is your name?” he asked him.

“My name is Legion,”^(CP) he answered him, “because we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs^(CQ) was there, feeding^(CR) on the hillside. ¹² The demons^[g] begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” ¹³ So he gave them permission, and the unclean^(CS) spirits^(CT) came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

¹⁴ The men who tended them ran off^(CU) and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed,^(CV)(CW) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;^(CX) and they were afraid.^{(CY) 16} Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed^(CZ) man and told about the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

¹⁸ As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord^(DA) has done^(DB) for you and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So he went out and began to proclaim^(DC) in the Decapolis^(DD) how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.^(DE)

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

²¹ When^(DF) Jesus had crossed over again by boat^[h] to the other side, a large crowd^(DG) gathered around him while he was by the sea. ²² One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus,^(DH) came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet^{(DI) 23} and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on^(DJ) her so that she can get well^[i](DK) and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.

²⁵ Now a woman suffering from bleeding^(DL) for twelve years ²⁶ had endured^(DM) much under many doctors.^(DN) She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. ²⁷ Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched^(DO) his clothing.^{(DP) 28} For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.”^{(DQ) 29} Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed^(DR) of her affliction.

³⁰ Immediately Jesus realized that power^(DS) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd^(DT) and said, “Who touched my clothes?”^(DU)

³¹ His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

³² But he was looking around to see who had done this. ³³ The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down^(DV) before him, and told him the whole truth.^{(DW) 34} “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith^(DX) has saved you.^(DY) Go in peace and be healed^(DZ) from your affliction.”^(EA)

³⁵ While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher^(EB) anymore?”

³⁶ When Jesus overheard^[j] what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid.^(EC) Only believe.” ³⁷ He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter,^(ED) James,^(EE) and John,^(EF) James’s brother. ³⁸ They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?^(EG) The child^(EH) is not dead but asleep.”^{(EI) 40} They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father,^(EJ) mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. ⁴¹ Then he took the child^(EK) by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum”^[k] (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”^(EL)). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up^(EM) and began to walk.^(EN) (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.^{(EO) 43} Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this^(EP) and told them to give her something to eat.