The Gospel According to St. Mark

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

And again He began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered to Him a great multitude, so that He, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land,

and He taught them many things in allegories, and He said to them in His teaching:

“Listen, behold, the sower went forth to sow;

and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the birds of the sky came and devoured it;

and other fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of having no depth of earth,

and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of having no root it withered;

and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit;

and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it was bearing, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

And He said to them, “He who is having ears to hear—let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

And when He was alone, those around Him, with the Twelve, asked Him of the allegory,

and He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the secret of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, in allegories are all the things done,

that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

And He says to them, “Have you not known this allegory? And how will you know all the allegories?

He who is sowing sows the word;

and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, Satan immediately comes, and he takes away the word that has been sown in their hearts.

And these are they, in like manner, who are sown on the rocky ground: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,

and have no root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.

And these are they who are sown toward the thorns: these are they who are hearing the word,

and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who hear the word, and receive, and bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

(Luke 8:16–18)

And He said to them, “Does the lamp come that it may be put under the measure, or under the bed—not that it may be put on the lampstand?

For there is not anything hid that may not be revealed, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light.

If any has ears to hear—let him hear.”

And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear; in what measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear it will be added;

for whoever may have, there will be given to him, and whoever has not, also that which he has will be taken from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

And He said, “Thus is the Kingdom of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth,

and may sleep, and may rise night and day, and the seed springs up and grows, he has not known how;

for of itself the earth bears fruit, first a blade, afterward an ear, afterward full grain in the ear;

and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

And He said, “To what may we liken the Kingdom of God, or in what allegory may we compare it?

As a grain of mustard, which, whenever it may be sown on the earth, is less than any of the seeds that are on the earth;

and whenever it may be sown, it comes up, and becomes greater than any of the herbs, and makes great branches, so that under its shade the birds of the sky are able to rest.”

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

and without an allegory He was not speaking to them, and by themselves, to His disciples He was expounding all.

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

And He says to them on that day, evening having come, “We may pass over to the other side”;

and having let away the multitude, they take Him up as He was in the boat, and other little boats were also with Him.

And there comes a great storm of wind, and the waves were beating on the boat, so that it is now being filled,

and He Himself was on the stern, sleeping on the pillow, and they wake Him up, and say to Him, “Teacher, are You not caring that we perish?”

And having awoken, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be stilled”; and the wind stilled, and there was a great calm;

and He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How have you no faith?”

And they feared a great fear and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.

As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds (a) came and devoured it.

Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’” (b)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

The farmer sows the word.

The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

(Luke 8:16–18)

He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket (c) or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.

If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear.

For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.

A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm.

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Footnotes

(a)4:4 TR adds “of the air”

(b)4:12 ℘ Isaiah 6:9-10