Mark 4

1Again he began to teach beside the sea, and a vast crowd gathered to him so that he got into a boat and sat in the sea, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

2And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching.

3Listen! Look, the sower went out to sow.

4As he sowed, some fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5And other seed fell on rocky ground where it had no abundance of soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

6But when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered.

7And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it bore no fruit.

8And others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit springing up and increasing, and bore some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.

9And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

10And when he was alone, the ones around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11And he said to them, "The mystery of God's kingdom has been given to you, but to those outside everything happens in parables."

12so that, though they keep seeing, they do not perceive; though they keep hearing, they do not understand; lest they turn and be forgiven.

13And he said to them, "Don't you know this parable? How will you know all the parables?"

14The sower sows the word.

15These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that has been sown in them.

16And these likewise are the ones sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.

17And they lack a root within themselves, but last only temporarily; then, when distress or persecution comes on account of the word, at once they stumble.

18And others are those sown among thorns; these are the ones who heard the word.

19And the worries of the age, the deceit of riches, and the desires for other things that enter in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20And those are the ones sown on good soil who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.

21And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be put on the lampstand?"

22For nothing is hidden except to be revealed; neither was anything concealed except to come into the open.

23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

24And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear. With whatever measure you use, it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you."

25For whoever has, it will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

26And he said, "God's kingdom is like a man who casts seed on the ground.

27and sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, as he does not know how.

28The earth bears fruit of its own accord: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29But when the fruit ripens, immediately he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.

30And he said, "How shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what parable shall we present it?"

31Like a mustard seed—which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground.

32But when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.

33He spoke the word to them with many such parables, as they were able to hear it.

34Apart from a parable, he did not speak to them, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35And on that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."

36And leaving the crowd, they took him along in the boat just as he was, and other boats were with him.

37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were beating into the boat so that it was already filling.

38He was in the stern, asleep on the pillow, and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?"

39And roused, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Be silent, be muzzled." And the wind ceased, and a great calm came.

40And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?”

41They were seized with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"