Mark 4 - Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Parable of the Sower

4 Another time Jesus began to teach by the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the sea. The whole crowd was on the seashore. 2 Then he taught them many things in parables. As he taught them, he said, 3 “Listen! There was a sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up right away because it did not have deep soil. 6 When the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it did not have much root, it withered. 7 Some seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so it did not produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and yielded fruit, sprouting and growing and producing a crop: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much as was sown.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10 When Jesus was alone, those who were around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but everything comes in parables to those who are outside, 12 so that

they will certainly see but not perceive,
and they will certainly hear but not understand.
Otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven.”[a]

13 Then he asked them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and immediately takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Some are like the ones sown on rocky ground: as soon as they hear the word, they immediately welcome it with joy. 17 Yet since they have no root in themselves, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18 Still others are sown among the thorns. These are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things enter in and choke the word, so it becomes unfruitful. 20 But the ones sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and produce fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much as was sown.”

A Lamp and a Lampstand

21 He also said to them, “A lamp is not brought out to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it placed on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 He went on to tell them, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you. 25 Yes, whoever has will be given more. And whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Seed Sprouts and Grows

26 He said, “The kingdom of God is like this: A man scatters seed on the ground, 27 and while he sleeps and rises, night and day, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 The ground produces fruit on its own: first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 When the crop is ready, he swings the sickle without delay, because the harvest has come.”

Mustard Seed

30 Then he said, “To what should we compare the kingdom of God? Or with what parable may we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which when sown on the ground is one of the smallest of all the seeds planted in the ground. 32 Yet when it is planted, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches so that the birds of the sky can nest under its shade.”

33 With many similar parables he continued to speak the word to them, as much as they were able to hear. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms the Storm

35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 After leaving the crowd behind, the disciples took him along in the boat, just as he was. Other small boats also followed him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were splashing into the boat, so that the boat was quickly filling up. 38 Jesus himself was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to drown?”

39 Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still lack faith?”

41 They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9-10

You Might Also Like:

Mark 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto 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, 2 and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching: 3 `Hearken, lo, t...
Read More

Mark 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 And again Jesus began to teach at the sea; and much people [and much company of people] was gathered to him, so that he went into a boat, and sat in the sea, and all the people [and all the company of people] was about the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them in parables many things. And he said...
Read More

Mark 4 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

4 Jesus began to teach people by the sea again. Many people came to him. So he got in a boat on the sea and sat down. The people were by the sea on the land. 2 He told the people stories and taught them many things. 3 He said, `Listen. A man went out to sow some seed. 4 As he sowed it, some of the s...
Read More

Mark 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 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. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out t...
Read More

Mark 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 1-2 Jesus went out again to teach by the Sea of Galilee. When the crowd became unmanageable, He climbed aboard a boat and sat down to teach the people listening on the shore by telling them parables. One of His teachings went like this: Jesus: 3 Listen! A farmer went out and sowed his seed. 4 As h...
Read More

Mark 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Storytelling Opens Hearts4 Again Yeshua began to teach by the sea. A large crowd gathered around Him, so He got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 He began teaching them many things by parables, and in His teaching, He said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, ...
Read More

Mark 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Parable of the Sower4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3...
Read More

Mark 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Parable of the Sower4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3...
Read More

Mark 4 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

4 And He began again to teach by the seaside. And there gathered to Him a great multitude. So that He entered into a ship and sat in the sea. And all the people were by the seaside, on the land. 2 And He taught them many things in parables, and said to them in His doctrine, 3 “Hear now. Behold, ther...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

The Parable of the Sower4 Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. A huge crowd gathered; so he got into a boat and stationed himself on the sea, with all the crowd on the shore looking out to sea. 2 He taught them lots of things in parables. This is how his teaching went. 3 ‘Listen!’ he sai...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Parable of the Sower4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Parable of the Sower4 Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to t...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Parable of the Sower4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.(A)2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to the...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

The parable of the sower. Take heed to God’s word. Christ stills the tempest of the sea, which obeyed him. 4 And he began again to teach by the sea side. And there gathered together unto him crowds of people, so greatly that he entered into the boat and sat in it in the sea, and all the people were ...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed4 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as t...
Read More

Mark 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seed (A)4 Jesus began to teach by the sea-shore again. Many people gathered around Him. There were so many He had to get into a boat and sit down. The people were on the shore. 2 He taught them many things by using picture-stories. As He taught, He said, 3 ...
Read More

Mark 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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 t...
Read More