Mark 4

₁Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was out in the water, and the crowd stood on the shore at the water's edge. ₂He used parables to teach them many things, saying to them:

₃“Listen! Once there was a man who went out to sow corn. ₄As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ₅Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. ₆Then, when the sun came up, it burnt the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. ₇Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants, and they didn't produce any corn. ₈But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants sprouted, grew, and produced corn: some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others 100.”

₉And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”

₁₀When Jesus was alone, some of those who had heard him came to him with the twelve disciples and asked him to explain the parables. ₁₁“You have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God,” Jesus answered. “But the others, who are on the outside, hear all things by means of parables, ₁₂so that,

₁₃Then Jesus asked them, “Don't you understand this parable? How, then, will you ever understand any parable? ₁₄The sower sows God's message. ₁₅Some people are like the seeds that fall along the path; as soon as they hear the message, Satan comes and takes it away. ₁₆Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the message, they receive it gladly. ₁₇But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. ₁₈Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, ₁₉but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and choke the message, and they don't bear fruit. ₂₀But other people are like the seeds sown in good soil. They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some 100.”

₂₁Jesus continued, “Does anyone ever bring in a lamp and put it under a bowl or under the bed? Doesn't he put it on the lampstand? ₂₂Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open, and whatever is covered up will be uncovered. ₂₃Listen, then, if you have ears!”

₂₄He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear! The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you — but with even greater severity. ₂₅Those who have something will be given more, and those who have nothing will have taken away from them even the little they have.”

₂₆Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. ₂₇He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens. ₂₈The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the ear, and finally the ear full of corn. ₂₉When the corn is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.

₃₀“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? ₃₁It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. ₃₂After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”

₃₃Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. ₃₄He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.

₃₅On the evening of that same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” ₃₆So they left the crowd; the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats were there too. ₃₇Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water. ₃₈Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?”

₃₉Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. ₄₀Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? Have you still no faith?”

₄₁But they were terribly afraid and said to one another, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”