Mark 4
The Scriptures (ISR 1998)

1And He began to teach again by the sea, and a large crowd was gathered to Him, so that He entered into a boat, to sit in the sea. And all the crowd was on the land facing the sea.

2And He taught them much in parables, and said to them in His teaching:

3“Listen! See, a sower went out to sow.a

4“And it came to be, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the heaven came and devoured it.

5“And other fell on rocky places, where it had not much soil. And immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

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

7“And other fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

8“And other fell on good soil and yielded a crop that came up, grew and yielded a crop, some thirtyfold, and some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

10And when He was alone, those about Him, with the twelve, asked Him about the parable.

11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the secret of the reign of Elohim, but to those who are outside, all are done in parables,

12so that ‘seeing they see but do not perceive, and hearing they hear but do not understand, lest they should turn and their sins be forgiven them.’ ”a

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then shall you understand all the parables?

14“The sower sows the word.

15“These, then, are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

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

17and they have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. Then when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

18“And others are those sown among thorns, these are they who hear the word,

19and the worries of this age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires for other matters, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.

20“And those sown on good soil, are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirtyfold, and some sixty, and some a hundred.”

21And He said to them, “Would a lamp be brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be put on a lampstand?

22“For whatever is hidden shall be revealed, and whatever has been kept secret, shall come to light.a

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

24And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you, and more shall be added to you who hear.

25“For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him.”a

26And He said, “The reign of Elohim is as when a man scatters seed on the ground,

27then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed sprouts and grows, he himself does not know how.

28“For the soil yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the completed grain in the head.

29“And when the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30And He said, “To what shall we compare the reign of Elohim? Or with what parable shall we present it?

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

32and when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all plants, and forms large branches, so that the birds of the heaven are able to nest under its shade.”

33And with many such parables He was speaking to them the word as they were able to hear,

34and He was not speaking to them without parables. And when they were alone, He explained all to His taught ones.

35And on the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us pass over to the other side.”

36And having left the crowd, they took Him along in the boat, as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37And there came a great windstorm, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already being filled.

38And He was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. And they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher, is it no concern to You that we perish?”

39And having been awakened He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40And He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you not yet belief?”

41And they feared exceedingly, and asked each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Mark 3
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