Mark 4

Understanding the parables Mark 4:10–20

¹⁰Verse 10. When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹Verse 11. He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables, ¹²Verse 12. that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’” ¹³Verse 13. He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? ¹⁴Verse 14. The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵Verse 15. The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

¹⁶Verse 16. These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷Verse 17. They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸Verse 18. Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, ¹⁹Verse 19. and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰Verse 20. Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

Further parables about the Kingdom Mark 4:21–34

²¹Verse 21. He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? ²²Verse 22. For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. ²³Verse 23. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴Verse 24. He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. ²⁵Verse 25. For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

²⁶Verse 26. He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, ²⁷Verse 27. and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how. ²⁸Verse 28. For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹Verse 29. But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” ³⁰Verse 30. He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? ³¹Verse 31. It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

³²Verse 32. yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.” ³³Verse 33. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴Verse 34. Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Calming the storm Mark 4:35–41

³⁵Verse 35. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” ³⁶Verse 36. Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. ³⁷Verse 37. A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. ³⁸Verse 38. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” ³⁹Verse 39. He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰Verse 40. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹Verse 41. They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”