Mark 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he gotinto a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowd were at the lakeside on land.	1 On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
2 He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,	2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
3 'Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow.	3 "Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
4 Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds cameand ate it up.	4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was nodepth of earth;	5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
6 and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away.	6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
7 Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop.	7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain.
8 And some seeds fell into rich soil, grew tal and strong, and produced a good crop; the yield was thirty,sixty, even a hundredfold.'	8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
9 And he said, 'Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'	9 He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
10 When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what theparables meant.	10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables.
11 He told them, 'To you is granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outsideeverything comes in parables,	11 He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables,
12 so that they may look and look, but never perceive; listen and listen, but never understand; to avoidchanging their ways and being healed.'	12 so that 'they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'"
13 He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of theparables?	13 Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 What the sower is sowing is the word.	14 The sower sows the word.
15 Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it thanSatan at once comes and carries away the word that was sown in them.	15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them.
16 Similarly, those who are sown on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word,welcome it at once with joy.	16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
17 But they have no root deep down and do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution onaccount of the word, at once they fal away.	17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 Then there are others who are sown in thorns. These have heard the word,	18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word,
19 but the worries of the world, the lure of riches and al the other passions come in to choke the word,and so it produces nothing.	19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.
20 And there are those who have been sown in rich soil; they hear the word and accept it and yield aharvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.'	20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
21 He also said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under a tub or under the bed? Surely to be put onthe lamp-stand?	21 He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?
22 For there is nothing hidden, but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.	22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.
23 Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'	23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
24 He also said to them, 'Take notice of what you are hearing. The standard you use wil be used for you-- and you wil receive more besides;	24 He also told them, "Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.
25 anyone who has, will be given more; anyone who has not, wil be deprived even of what he has.'	25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
26 He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land.	26 He said,"This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
27 Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he doesnot know.	27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.
28 Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.	28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.'	29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."
30 He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it?	30 He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
31 It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smal est of al the seeds on earth.	31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
32 Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them al and puts out big branches so that thebirds of the air can shelter in its shade.'	32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."
33 Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable ofunderstanding it.	33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
34 He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when theywere by themselves.	34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
35 With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'	35 On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
36 And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boatswith him.	36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him.
37 Then it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almostswamped.	37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.
38 But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.	38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
39 They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are lost!' And he woke up and rebukedthe wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm.	39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm.
40 Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you stil no faith?'	40 Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"
41 They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the seaobey him.'	41 They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"