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Mark 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Mark 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again(A) He began to teach(B) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables,(C) and in His teaching(D) He said to them: 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(E) 4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,(F) and the birds came and ate(G) it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away,(H) since it didn’t have deep soil. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.(I) 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased(J) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”(K) 9 Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”(L)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 When He was alone with the Twelve,(M) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.(N) 11 He answered them, “The secret(O) of the kingdom of God(P) has been given to you, but to those outside,(Q) everything comes in parables 12 so that
they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;(R)
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”[a](S)[b]
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 Then(T) He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable?(U) How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows(V) the word.(W) 15 These[c] are the ones along the path(X) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan(Y) comes and takes away the word(Z) sown in them.[d] 16 And these are[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(AA) 17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure(AB) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.(AC) 18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(AD) of this age,(AE) the seduction[f](AF) of wealth,(AG) and the desires(AH) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(AI) 20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,(AJ) welcome it, and produce a crop:(AK) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
Using Your Light
21 He(AL) also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?(AM) Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?(AN) 22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed,(AO) and nothing hidden except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!”(AP) 24 Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure(AQ) you use,[g](AR) it will be measured and added(AS) to you. 25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”(AT)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 “The kingdom of God(AU) is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; 27 he sleeps(AV) and rises(AW)—night(AX) and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop(AY) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain(AZ) on the head. 29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,(BA) because the harvest(BB) has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And(BC) He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,(BD) or what parable(BE) can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed(BF) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown,(BG) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,(BH) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky(BI) can nest in its shade.”
Using Parables
33 He would speak the word(BJ) to them with many parables(BK) like these, as they were able to understand.(BL) 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.(BM)
Wind and Wave Obey the Master
35 On(BN) that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm(BO) arose, and the waves(BP) were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping(BQ) on the cushion. So they woke Him up(BR) and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”(BS)
39 He got up, rebuked(BT) the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence!(BU) Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful?(BV) Do you still have no faith?”
41 And they were terrified(BW) and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey(BX) Him!”(BY)
Mark 4
New International Version
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
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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