Mark 4 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Parable of the Sower and Soils

1 Again ^G3825 He began ^G757 to teach ^G1321 by the sea ^G2281. And such a very ^G4183 large ^G4183 crowd ^G3793 gathered ^G4863 to Him that He got ^G1684 into a boat ^G4143 on the sea ^G2281 and sat ^G2521 down ^G2521; and the whole ^G3956 crowd ^G3793 was by the sea ^G2281 on the land ^G1093.

2 And He was teaching ^G1321 them many ^G4183 things ^G4183 in parables ^G3850, and was saying ^G3004 to them in His teaching ^G1322, 3 “Listen ^G191 to this! Behold ^G2400, the sower ^G4687 went ^G1831 out ^G1831 to sow ^G4687; 4 as he was sowing ^G4687, some ^G3739 G3303 seed fell ^G4098 beside ^G3844 the road ^G3598, and the birds ^G4071 came ^G2064 and ate ^G2719 it up ^G2719. 5 Other ^G243 seed fell ^G4098 on the rocky ^G4075 ground where ^G3699 it did not have ^G2192 much ^G4183 soil ^G1093; and immediately ^G2117 it sprang ^G1816 up ^G1816 because ^G1223 it had ^G2192 no ^G3361 depth ^G899 of soil ^G1093. 6 And when ^G3753 the sun ^G2246 had risen ^G393, it was scorched ^G2739; and because ^G1223 it had ^G2192 no ^G3361 root ^G4491, it withered ^G3583 away ^G3583. 7 Other ^G243 seed fell ^G4098 among ^G1519 the thorns ^G173, and the thorns ^G173 came ^G305 up ^G305 and choked ^G4846 it, and it yielded ^G1325 no ^G3756 crop ^G2590. 8 Other ^G243 seeds fell ^G4098 into the good ^G2570 soil ^G1093, and as they grew ^G305 up ^G305 and increased ^G837, they yielded ^G1325 a crop ^G2590 and produced ^G5342 thirty ^G5144, sixty ^G1835, and a hundred ^G1540 times as much.” 9 And He was saying ^G3004, “He who ^G3739 has ^G2192 ears ^G3775 to hear ^G191, [fn]let him hear ^G191.”

10 As soon ^G3753 as He was alone ^G3441, [fn]His followers ^G3588 G4012, along ^G4862 with the twelve ^G1427 disciples, began asking ^G2065 Him about the parables ^G3850. 11 And He was saying ^G3004 to them, “To you has been given ^G1325 the mystery ^G3466 of the kingdom ^G932 of God ^G2316, but for those ^G1565 who are outside ^G1854, everything ^G3956 comes ^G1096 in parables ^G3850, 12 so ^G2443 that ^G2443 WHILE SEEING ^G991 THEY MAY SEE ^G991, AND NOT PERCEIVE ^G3708, AND WHILE HEARING ^G191, THEY MAY HEAR ^G191, AND NOT UNDERSTAND ^G4920, OTHERWISE ^G3379 THEY MIGHT RETURN ^G1994 AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN ^G863 THEM.”

Explanation of the Parable

13 And He *said ^G3004 to them, “Do you not understand ^G6063 this ^G3778 parable ^G3850? How ^G4459 will you understand ^G1097 all ^G3956 the parables ^G3850?

14 The sower ^G4687 sows ^G4687 the word ^G3056. 15 These ^G3778 are the ones who ^G3588 are beside ^G3844 the road ^G3598 where ^G3699 the word ^G3056 is sown ^G4687; and when ^G3752 they hear ^G191, immediately ^G2117 Satan ^G4567 comes ^G2064 and takes ^G142 away ^G142 the word ^G3056 which has been sown ^G4687 in them. 16 And in a similar ^G3668 way ^G3668 these ^G3778 are the ones sown ^G4687 with seed on the rocky ^G4075 places, who ^G3739, when ^G3752 they hear ^G191 the word ^G3056, immediately ^G2117 receive ^G2983 it with joy ^G5479; 17 and yet they have ^G2192 no ^G3756 firm root ^G4491 in themselves ^G1438, but are only temporary ^G4340; then ^G1534, when affliction ^G2347 or ^G2228 persecution ^G1375 occurs ^G1096 because ^G1223 of the word ^G3056, immediately ^G2117 they [fn]fall ^G4624 away ^G4624. 18 And others ^G243 are the ones sown ^G4687 with seed among ^G1519 the thorns ^G173; these ^G3778 are the ones who have heard ^G191 the word ^G3056, 19 but the worries ^G3308 of the [fn]world ^G165, and the deceitfulness ^G539 of wealth ^G4149, and the desires ^G1939 for other ^G3062 things ^G3062 enter ^G1531 and choke ^G4846 the word ^G3056, and it [fn]becomes ^G1096 unfruitful ^G175. 20 And those ^G1565 are the ones sown ^G4687 with seed on the good ^G2570 soil ^G1093; and they hear ^G191 the word ^G3056 and accept ^G3858 it and bear ^G2592 fruit ^G2592, thirty ^G5144, sixty ^G1835, and a hundred ^G1540 times as much.”

21 And He was saying ^G3004 to them, “A lamp ^G3088 is not brought ^G2064 to be put ^G5087 under ^G5259 a [fn]basket ^G3426, or ^G2228 under ^G5259 a bed ^G2825, is it? Is it not brought to be put ^G5087 on the lampstand ^G3087? 22 For nothing ^G3756 G5100 is hidden ^G2927, except ^G1437 G3361 to be revealed ^G5319; nor ^G3761 has anything been ^G1096 secret ^G614, but that it would come ^G2064 to light ^G5318. 23 If ^G1487 anyone ^G5100 has ^G2192 ears ^G3775 to hear ^G191, [fn]let him hear ^G191.” 24 And He was saying ^G3004 to them, “Take ^G991 care ^G991 what ^G5101 you listen ^G191 to. [fn]By your standard ^G3358 of measure ^G3354 it will be measured ^G3354 to you; and more will be given ^G4369 you besides ^G4369. 25 For whoever ^G3739 has ^G2192, to him more will be given ^G1325; and whoever ^G3739 does not have ^G2192, even ^G2532 what ^G3739 he has ^G2192 will be taken ^G142 away ^G142 from him.”

Parable of the Seed

26 And He was saying ^G3004, “The kingdom ^G932 of God ^G2316 is like ^G3779 G5613 a man ^G444 who casts ^G906 seed ^G4703 upon the soil ^G1093;

27 and he goes ^G2518 to ^G2518 bed ^G2518 at night ^G3571 and gets ^G1453 up ^G1453 daily ^G2250, and the seed ^G4703 sprouts ^G985 and grows ^G3373—how ^G5613, he himself ^G846 does not know ^G6063. 28 The soil ^G1093 produces ^G2592 crops ^G2592 by ^G844 itself ^G844; first ^G4413 the stalk ^G5528, then ^G1534 the head ^G4719, then ^G1534 the mature ^G4134 grain ^G4621 in the head ^G4719. 29 Now ^G1161 when ^G3752 the crop ^G2590 permits ^G3860, he immediately ^G2117 [fn]puts ^G649 in ^G649 the sickle ^G1407, because ^G3754 the harvest ^G2326 has come ^G3936.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 And He was saying ^G3004, “How ^G4459 shall we [fn]picture ^G3666 the kingdom ^G932 of God ^G2316, or ^G2228 by what ^G5101 parable ^G3850 shall we present ^G5087 it?

31 It is like ^G5613 a mustard ^G4615 seed ^G2848, which ^G3739, when ^G3752 sown ^G4687 upon the soil ^G1093, though it is the smallest ^G3398 of all ^G3956 the seeds ^G4690 that are upon the soil ^G1093, 32 yet ^G2532 when ^G3752 it is sown ^G4687, it grows ^G305 up ^G305 and becomes ^G1096 larger ^G3173 than all ^G3956 the garden ^G3001 plants ^G3001, and forms ^G4160 large ^G3173 branches ^G2798, with ^G5620 the ^G5620 result ^G5620 that ^G5620 THE BIRDS ^G4071 OF THE SKY ^G3772 can ^G1410 NEST ^G2681 UNDER ^G5259 its shade ^G4639.”

33 And with many ^G4183 such ^G5108 parables ^G3850 He was speaking ^G2980 the word ^G3056 to them, so ^G2531 far ^G2531 as ^G2531 they were able ^G1410 to [fn]understand ^G191 it; 34 and He did not speak ^G2980 to them without ^G5565 a parable ^G3850; but He was explaining ^G1956 everything ^G3956 privately ^G2596 G2398 to His own ^G2398 disciples ^G3101.

Jesus Stills the Sea

35 On that day ^G2250, when evening ^G3798 came ^G1096, He *said ^G3004 to them, “Let’s go ^G1330 over ^G1330 to the other ^G4008 side ^G4008.”

36 After dismissing ^G863 the crowd ^G3793, they *took ^G3880 Him along ^G3880 with them in the boat ^G4143, just ^G5613 as ^G5613 He was; and other ^G243 boats ^G4143 were with Him. 37 And a fierce ^G3173 gale ^G2978 of wind ^G417 *developed ^G1096, and the waves ^G2949 were breaking ^G1911 over ^G1911 the boat ^G4143 so ^G5620 much that the boat ^G4143 was already ^G2235 filling ^G1072 with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself ^G846 was in the stern ^G4403, asleep ^G2518 on the cushion ^G4344; and they *woke ^G1453 Him and *said ^G3004 to Him, “Teacher ^G1320, do You not care ^G3199 that we are perishing ^G622?” 39 And He got ^G1326 up ^G1326 and rebuked ^G2008 the wind ^G417 and said ^G3004 to the sea ^G2281, “Hush ^G4623, be still ^G5392.” And the wind ^G417 died ^G2869 down ^G2869 and [fn]it became ^G1096 perfectly ^G3173 calm ^G1055. 40 And He said ^G3004 to them, “Why ^G5101 are you [fn]afraid ^G1169? Do you still ^G3768 have ^G2192 no ^G3768 faith ^G4102?” 41 They became ^G5399 very ^G3173 much ^G3173 afraid ^G5399 and said ^G3004 to one ^G240 another ^G240, “Who ^G5101, then ^G686, is this ^G3778, that even ^G2532 the wind ^G417 and the sea ^G2281 obey ^G5219 Him?”