Beginning

Chapter 4

The Parables—A Veiled Language^[a]

The Parable of the Sower. ¹ On another occasion he began to teach by the side of the lake. However, such a large crowd gathered that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while the whole crowd gathered on the shore facing the lake. ² Then he taught them many things in parables.

In the course of his teaching, he said to them: ³ “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ 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 there was little soil. It sprouted quickly, since the soil had no depth, ⁶ but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it lacked roots, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. ⁸ But some seed fell onto rich soil and brought forth grain, increasing and yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” ⁹ He then added, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

¹⁰ The Reason for Parables. When he was alone, the Twelve and his other companions asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “To you has been granted knowledge of the mysteries^[b] of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything comes in parables, ¹² so that

¹³ The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.^[d] He went on to say to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then are you to understand any of the parables? ¹⁴ What the sower is sowing is the word.

¹⁵ “Some people are like seed that falls along the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and carries off the word that has been sown in them.

¹⁶ “Others are like the seed sown on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no deep root and they endure for only a short time. When some trial or tribulation arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away.

¹⁸ “Those sown among thorns are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but worldly cares, the lure of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

²⁰ “But those sown in rich soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit and yield thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was sown.”

²¹ The Parable of the Lamp.^[e] He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? To the contrary, it is placed on a lampstand. ²² For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing is secret that will not be brought to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

²⁴ The Parable of the Measure.^[f] He also told them, “Pay careful attention to what you hear. The measure you give will be the measure you will receive, and you will receive more in addition. ²⁵ To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what little he has will be taken away.”^[g]

²⁶ The Parable of the Secretly Growing Seed.^[h] He went on to say, “The kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, while he sleeps and while he is awake, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not understand how. ²⁸ The ground produces fruit of its own accord—first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ And when the crop is ripe, he immediately stretches out the sickle, because the time for harvest has come.”

³⁰ The Parable of the Mustard Seed.^[i] He then said, “With what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. ³² But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the greatest of all plants, and it puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

³³ The Usefulness of Parables.^[j] With many such parables as these he spoke the word to them so far as they were able to comprehend it. ³⁴ He never spoke to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.

Jesus Overcomes Evil and Effects Salvation^[k]

³⁵ Jesus Calms the Storm.^[l] On that day, as evening approached, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ And so, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. Some other boats joined them.

³⁷ Suddenly, a great storm came up, and the waves were crashing over the boat so that it was almost swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They awakened him and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

³⁹ Then he stood up and rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Are you still without faith?” ⁴¹ They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”

Chapter 5

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac.^{[m] 1} They reached the region of the Gerasenes^[n] on the other side of the lake. ² No sooner had he stepped out of the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came up to him from the tombs.^{[o] 3} The man had been living in the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with chains. ⁴ For he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but he had snapped the chains and smashed the shackles to pieces, and no one had sufficient strength to subdue him. ⁵ Day and night among the tombs and on the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones.

⁶ When the man caught sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, ⁷ as he shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you in God’s name: do not torment me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!” ⁹ Then he asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for there are many of us.”^{[p] 10} And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

¹¹ Now on the mountainside a great herd of pigs was feeding. ¹² And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” ¹³ He allowed this. With that, the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, charged down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned in the waters.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. As a result, people came out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came near Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by Legion sitting there fully clothed and in his right mind, and they were frightened. ¹⁶ Those who had been eyewitnesses to the incident confirmed what had happened to the demoniac and what had happened to the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons pleaded to be allowed to go with him. ¹⁹ However, Jesus would not permit him to do so, and instead told him, “Go home to your own people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ The man then departed and began to make known throughout the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.^[q]

²¹ Jesus Heals a Woman and Raises a Child.^[r] When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed by the lake. ²² Then one of the leaders of the synagogue,^[s] named Jairus, came forward, and when he saw Jesus he threw himself down at his feet ²³ and pleaded with him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. I beg you to come and lay your hands on her so that she may recover and live.” ²⁴ Jesus went with him, and a large number accompanied him and crowded around him.

²⁵ There was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶ In spite of long and painful treatment at the hands of many doctors, her condition not only had failed to improve but had actually become worse, and she had spent everything she had. ²⁷ Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ for she thought, “If I simply touch his clothing, I shall be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately her bleeding dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

³⁰ Instantly aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothing?” ³¹ His disciples said in reply, “You see this vast throng pressing upon you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” ³² However, he continued to look around to determine who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She knelt before him and revealed to him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your affliction.”

³⁵ While he was still speaking, some people from the house of the synagogue leader arrived and said, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ Jesus heard the message they had delivered, but he said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” ³⁷ He allowed no one to accompany him except Peter, James, and John,^[t] the brother of James.

³⁸ When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, he observed a great deal of commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ When he entered, he said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead; she is asleep.” ⁴⁰ In response, they laughed at him.

After sending them all outside, he took with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions and entered the room where the child was. ⁴¹ He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” which means: “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” ⁴² And immediately the girl, a child of twelve, got up and began to walk around.

On witnessing this, they were all overcome with amazement, ⁴³ but he gave them strict instructions that no one should be told anything about this. Then he told them to give her something to eat.