Mark 4
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
4 Again Jesus began to teach beside the lake. And a very great crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a ship in order to sit in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the lakeside on the shore.
2 And He taught them many things in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), and in His teaching He said to them:
3 Give attention to this! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Other seed [of the same kind] fell on ground full of rocks, where it had not much soil; and at once it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil;
6 And when the sun came up, it was scorched, and because it had not taken root, it withered away.
7 Other seed [of the same kind] fell among thorn plants, and the thistles grew and pressed together and utterly choked and suffocated it, and it yielded no grain.
8 And other seed [of the same kind] fell into good (well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred times as much as had been sown.
9 And He said, He who has ears to hear, let him be hearing [and let him [a]consider, and comprehend].
10 And as soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, with the Twelve [apostles], began to ask Him about the parables.
11 And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, [b]the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [[c]of our circle] everything becomes a parable,
12 In order that they may [indeed] look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, [d]lest haply they should turn again, and it [[e]their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them.(A)
13 And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the Word.
15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them.
16 And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy;
17 And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.
18 And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.
20 And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much.
21 And He said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a [f]peck measure or under a bed, and not [to be put] on the lampstand?
22 [[g]Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.
23 If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.
24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [h][of thought and study] you give [to [i]the truth you hear] will be the measure [j][of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.
25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [[k]by force],
26 And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground,
27 And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and [l]increases—he knows not how.
28 The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he [m]sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.
30 And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth;
32 Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.
33 With many such parables [Jesus] spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear and [n]to comprehend and understand.
34 He did not tell them anything without a parable; but privately to His disciples ([o]those who were peculiarly His own) He explained everything [fully].
35 On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake].
36 And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him.
37 And a furious storm of wind [[p]of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.
38 But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?
39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased ([q]sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm ([r]a perfect peacefulness).
40 He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no [s]firmly relying trust)?
41 And they were filled with great awe and [t]feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?
Footnotes
- Mark 4:9 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 4:11 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:11 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:12 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures.
- Mark 4:12 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:21 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
- Mark 4:22 Henry Swete, The Gospel According to Saint Mark; A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures; Marvin Vincent, Word Studies; and others.
- Mark 4:24 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
- Mark 4:24 James C. Gray and George M. Adams, Bible Commentary; Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; and others.
- Mark 4:24 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
- Mark 4:25 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 4:27 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 4:29 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:33 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 4:34 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:37 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:39 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 4:39 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
- Mark 4:40 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Mark 4:41 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
Marcos 4
Reina-Valera Antigua
4 Y OTRA vez comenzó á enseñar junto á la mar, y se juntó á él mucha gente; tanto, que entrándose él en un barco, se sentó en la mar: y toda la gente estaba en tierra junto á la mar.
2 Y les enseñaba por parábolas muchas cosas, y les decía en su doctrina:
3 Oid: He aquí, el sembrador salió á sembrar.
4 Y aconteció sembrando, que una parte cayó junto al camino; y vinieron las aves del cielo, y la tragaron.
5 Y otra parte cayó en pedregales, donde no tenía mucha tierra; y luego salió, porque no tenía la tierra profunda:
6 Mas salido el sol, se quemó; y por cuanto no tenía raíz, se secó.
7 Y otra parte cayó en espinas; y subieron las espinas, y la ahogaron, y no dió fruto.
8 Y otra parte cayó en buena tierra, y dió fruto, que subió y creció: y llevó uno á treinta, y otro á sesenta, y otro á ciento.
9 Entonces les dijo: El que tiene oídos para oir, oiga.
10 Y cuando estuvo solo, le preguntaron los que estaban cerca de él con los doce, sobre la parábola.
11 Y les dijo: A vosotros es dado saber el misterio del reino de Dios; mas á los que están fuera, por parábolas todas las cosas;
12 Para que viendo, vean y no echen de ver; y oyendo, oigan y no entiendan: porque no se conviertan, y les sean perdonados los pecados.
13 Y les dijo: ¿No sabéis esta parábola? ¿Cómo, pues, entenderéis todas las parábolas?
14 El que siembra es el que siembra la palabra.
15 Y éstos son los de junto al camino: en los que la palabra es sembrada: mas después que la oyeron, luego viene Satanás, y quita la palabra que fué sembrada en sus corazones.
16 Y asimismo éstos son los que son sembrados en pedregales: los que cuando han oído la palabra, luego la toman con gozo;
17 Mas no tienen raíz en sí, antes son temporales, que en levantándose la tribulación ó la persecución por causa de la palabra, luego se escandalizan.
18 Y éstos son los que son sembrados entre espinas: los que oyen la palabra;
19 Mas los cuidados de este siglo, y el engaño de las riquezas, y las codicias que hay en las otras cosas, entrando, ahogan la palabra, y se hace infructuosa.
20 Y éstos son los que fueron sembrados en buena tierra: los que oyen la palabra, y la reciben, y hacen fruto, uno á treinta, otro á sesenta, y otro á ciento.
21 También les dijo: ¿Tráese la antorcha para ser puesta debajo del almud, ó debajo de la cama? ¿No es para ser puesta en el candelero?
22 Porque no hay nada oculto que no haya de ser manifestado, ni secreto que no haya de descubrirse.
23 Si alguno tiene oídos para oir, oiga.
24 Les dijo también: Mirad lo que oís: con la medida que medís, os medirán otros, y será añadido á vosotros los que oís.
25 Porque al que tiene, le será dado; y al que no tiene, aun lo que tiene le será quitado.
26 Decía más: Así es el reino de Dios, como si un hombre echa simiente en la tierra;
27 Y duerme, y se levanta de noche y de día, y la simiente brota y crece como él no sabe.
28 Porque de suyo fructifica la tierra, primero hierba, luego espiga, después grano lleno en la espiga;
29 Y cuando el fruto fuere producido, luego se mete la hoz, porque la siega es llegada.
30 Y decía: ¿A qué haremos semejante el reino de Dios? ¿ó con qué parábola le compararemos?
31 Es como el grano de mostaza, que, cuando se siembra en tierra, es la más pequeña de todas las simientes que hay en la tierra;
32 Mas después de sembrado, sube, y se hace la mayor de todas las legumbres, y echa grandes ramas, de tal manera que las aves del cielo puedan morar bajo su sombra.
33 Y con muchas tales parábolas les hablaba la palabra, conforme á lo que podían oir.
34 Y sin parábola no les hablaba; mas á sus discípulos en particular declaraba todo.
35 Y les dijo aquel día cuando fué tarde: Pasemos de la otra parte.
36 Y despachando la multitud, le tomaron como estaba, en el barco; y había también con él otros barquitos.
37 Y se levantó una grande tempestad de viento, y echaba las olas en el barco, de tal manera que ya se henchía.
38 Y él estaba en la popa, durmiendo sobre un cabezal, y le despertaron, y le dicen: ¿Maestro, no tienes cuidado que perecemos?
39 Y levantándose, increpó al viento, y dijo á la mar: Calla, enmudece. Y cesó el viento, y fué hecha grande bonanza.
40 Y á ellos dijo: ¿Por qué estáis así amedrentados? ¿Cómo no tenéis fe?
41 Y temieron con gran temor, y decían el uno al otro. ¿Quién es éste, que aun el viento y la mar le obedecen?
Mark 4
New International Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(D) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(E) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(F)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(G)
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(I) everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”(J)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(K) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(N) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(O) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(P)
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(Q) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(R)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(T)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(U)
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(W) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm(Y)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(Z) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(AA)
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10
Mark 4
New King James Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)
4 And (B)again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, (C)and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds [a]of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no [b]crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said [c]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(D)
10 (E)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to (F)know the [d]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to (G)those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
(H)‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”
The Parable of the Sower Explained(I)
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 (J)The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the (K)cares of this world, (L)the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, [e]accept it, and bear (M)fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Light Under a Basket(N)
21 (O)Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 (P)For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 (Q)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. (R)With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 (S)For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 And He said, (T)“The kingdom of God is as if a man should [f]scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and (U)grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth (V)yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately (W)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(X)
30 Then He said, (Y)“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Jesus’ Use of Parables
33 (Z)And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, (AA)He explained all things to His disciples.
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(AB)
35 (AC)On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, (AD)“Teacher, (AE)do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and (AF)rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, (AG)“Peace,[g] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? (AH)How[h] is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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