Mark 4
The New Consensus Bible is an AI-generated contemporary rendering, built from seven public-domain translations and the 20-tradition consensus. See all the work behind this chapter.
1And again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very great crowd gathers to him, so that stepping into a boat, he sat in the sea; and all the crowd were facing the sea on the land. 2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching: 3“Listen! Look, the sower went out to sow. 4And it happened in the sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the heaven came and devoured it. 5And other seed fell upon the rocky ground, where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it did not have depth of earth. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and because it did not have a root, it withered away. 7And other seed fell into the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8And others fell into the good earth, and were yielding fruit, coming up and increasing; and bearing, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.” 9And he was saying to them: “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve were asking him about the parables. 11And he said to them: “To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given; but to those outside, all things happen in parables, 12so that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn again, and their sins be forgiven them.’” 13And he says to them: “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15And these are the ones beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that has been sown into their hearts. 16And these are likewise the ones sown upon the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, 17and they do not have a root in themselves, but are temporary; then, when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. 18And others are the ones sown into the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires concerning the rest of things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20And those are the ones sown upon the good earth, who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.” 21And he said to them: “Does the lamp come to be put under the measuring basket or under the bed? Does it not come to be put on the lampstand? 22For there is not anything hidden except that it should be manifested, nor was anything made secret but that it should come to manifestation. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And he was saying to them: “Pay attention to what you hear. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you who hear. 25For whoever has, to him it will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” 26And he said: “Thus is the kingdom of God: as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth, 27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28For the earth bears fruit by itself: first grass, then an ear, then full grain in the ear. 29But when the crop permits, immediately he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30And he said: “How should we liken the kingdom of God, or in what parable should we place it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the earth; 32and when it is sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of the heaven are able to nest under its shade.” 33And with many such parables he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear. 34And without a parable he was not speaking to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. 35And he says to them on that day, evening having come: “Let us pass over to the other side.” 36And having left the crowd, they take him along just as he was in the boat, and other boats were with him. 37And a great storm of wind arises, and the waves were beating into the boat, so that the boat was already being filled. 38And he himself was in the stern upon the cushion sleeping. And they wake him and say to him: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And having awakened, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea: “Silence, be muzzled!” And the wind died down, and there was a great calm. 40And he said to them: “Why are you fearful? How do you not yet have faith?” 41And they feared a great fear and were saying to one another: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
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