Mark 4

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 And again, he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered to him, so much so that, climbing into a boat, he was seated on the sea. And the entire crowd was on the land along the sea.
2 He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,	2 And he taught them many things in parables, and he said to them, in his doctrine:
3 'Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow.	3 “Listen. Behold, the 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 while he was sowing, some fell along the way, and the birds of the air came and ate it.
5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was nodepth of earth;	5 Yet truly, others fell upon stony ground, where it did not have much soil. And it rose up quickly, because it had no depth of soil.
6 and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away.	6 And when the sun was risen, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away.
7 Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop.	7 And some fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up and suffocated it, and it did not produce fruit.
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 fell on good soil. And it brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased, and yielded: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred.”
9 And he said, 'Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'	9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him 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, the twelve, who were with him, questioned him about the parable.
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 And he said to them: “To you, it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those who are outside, everything is presented 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, seeing, they may see, and not perceive; and hearing, they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they may be converted, and their sins would be forgiven them.’ ”
13 He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of theparables?	13 And he said to them: “Do you not understand this parable? And so, how will you understand all the parables?
14 What the sower is sowing is the word.	14 He who sows, 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 Now there are those who are along the way, where the word is sown. And when they have heard it, Satan quickly comes and takes away the word, which was sown in their hearts.
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 similarly, there are those who were sown upon stony ground. These, when they have heard the word, immediately accept it with gladness.
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 in themselves, and so they are for a limited time. And when next tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 Then there are others who are sown in thorns. These have heard the word,	18 And there are others who are sown among thorns. These are those 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 tasks, and the deception of riches, and desires about other things enter in and suffocate the word, and it is effectively without 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 And there are those who are sown upon good soil, who hear the word and accept it; and these bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred.”
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 And he said to them: “Would someone enter with a lamp in order to place it under a basket or under a bed? Would it not be placed upon 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 that will not be revealed. Neither was anything done in secret, except that it may be made public.
23 Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'	23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him 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 And he said to them: “Consider what you hear. With whatever measure you have measured out, it shall be measured back to you, and more shall be added to you.
25 anyone who has, will be given more; anyone who has not, wil be deprived even of what he has.'	25 For whoever has, to him it shall be given. And whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away.”
26 He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land.	26 And he said: “The kingdom of God is like this: it is as if a man were to cast 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 he sleeps and he arises, night and day. And the seed germinates and grows, though he does not know it.
28 Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.	28 For the earth bears fruit readily: first the plant, then the ear, next 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 fruit has been produced, immediately he sends out the sickle, because the harvest has arrived.”
30 He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it?	30 And he said: “To what should we compare the kingdom of God? Or to what parable should we compare 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 grain of mustard seed which, when it has been sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds which are in 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 And when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the plants, and it produces great branches, so much so that the birds of the air are able to live under its shadow.”
33 Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable ofunderstanding it.	33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to hear.
34 He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when theywere by themselves.	34 But he did not speak to them without a parable. Yet separately, he explained all things to his disciples.
35 With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'	35 And on that day, when evening had arrived, he said to them, “Let us cross over.”
36 And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boatswith him.	36 And dismissing the crowd, they brought him, so that he was in one boat, 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 And a great wind storm occurred, and the waves broke over the boat, so that the boat was being filled.
38 But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.	38 And he was in the stern of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, does it not concern you 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 And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea: “Silence. Be stilled.” And the wind ceased. And a great tranquility occurred.
40 Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you stil no faith?'	40 And he said to them: “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” And they were struck with a great fear. And they said to one another, “Who do you think this is, that both wind and sea obey him?”
41 They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the seaobey him.'