Parallel Bible results for "mark 4"

Mark 4

Common English Bible CEB

1 Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore.

2 He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said,

3 "Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed.

4 As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it.

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn't deep.

6 When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots.

7 Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing.

8 Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one."

9 He said, "Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!"

10 When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables.

11 He said to them, “The secret of God's kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables.

12 This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven.

13 "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?

14 The farmer scatters the word.

15 This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them.

16 Here's the meaning of the seed that fell on rocky ground: When people hear the word, they immediately receive it joyfully.

17 Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away.

18 Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word;

19 but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

20 The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one."

21 Jesus said to them, "Does anyone bring in a lamp in order to put it under a basket or a bed? Shouldn't it be placed on a lampstand?

22 Everything hidden will be revealed, and everything secret will come out into the open.

23 Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!"

24 He said to them, "Listen carefully! God will evaluate you with the same standard you use to evaluate others. Indeed, you will receive even more.

25 Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don't have, even what they don't have will be taken away from them."

26 Then Jesus said, "This is what God's kingdom is like. It's as though someone scatters seed on the ground,

27 then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn't know how.

28 The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain.

29 Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it's harvesttime."

30 He continued, "What's a good image for God's kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it?

31 Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it's the smallest of all the seeds on the earth;

32 but when it's planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade."

33 With many such parables he continued to give them the word, as much as they were able to hear.

34 He spoke to them only in parables, then explained everything to his disciples when he was alone with them.

35 Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake."

36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.

37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped.

38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we're drowning?"

39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, "Silence! Be still!" The wind settled down and there was a great calm.

40 Jesus asked them, "Why are you frightened? Don't you have faith yet?"

41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Jesus began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was in the water while the entire crowd lined the shore.

2 He used stories as illustrations to teach them many things. While he was teaching them, he said,

3 "Listen! A farmer went to plant seed.

4 Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them.

5 Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn't much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep.

6 When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn't have any roots, so they withered.

7 Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn't produce anything.

8 But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted."

9 He added, "Let the person who has ears listen!"

10 When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories.

11 Jesus replied to them, "The mystery about the kingdom of God has been given [directly] to you. To those on the outside, it is given in stories:

12 'They see clearly but don't perceive. They hear clearly but don't understand. They never return to me and are never forgiven.'"

13 Jesus asked them, "Don't you understand this story? How, then, will you understand any of the stories I use as illustrations?

14 "The farmer plants the word.

15 Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was planted in them.

16 Other people are like seeds that were planted on rocky ground. Whenever they hear the word, they accept it at once with joy.

17 But they don't develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall [from faith].

18 Other people are like seeds planted among thornbushes. They hear the word,

19 but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can't produce anything.

20 Others are like seeds planted on good ground. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops--thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted."

21 Jesus said to them, "Does anyone bring a lamp into a room to put it under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it put on a lamp stand?

22 There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light.

23 Let the person who has ears listen!"

24 He went on to say, "Pay attention to what you're listening to! [Knowledge] will be measured out to you by the measure [of attention] you give. This is the way knowledge increases.

25 Those who understand [these mysteries] will be given [more knowledge]. However, some people don't understand [these mysteries]. Even what they understand will be taken away from them."

26 Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.

27 He sleeps at night and is awake during the day. The seeds sprout and grow, although the man doesn't know how.

28 The ground produces grain by itself. First the green blade appears, then the head, then the head full of grain.

29 As soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it with a sickle, because harvest time has come."

30 Jesus asked, "How can we show what the kingdom of God is like? To what can we compare it?

31 It's like a mustard seed planted in the ground. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth.

32 However, when planted, it comes up and becomes taller than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that birds can nest in its shade."

33 Jesus spoke [God's] word to them using many illustrations like these. In this way people could understand what he taught.

34 He did not speak to them without using an illustration. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side."

36 Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus along in a boat just as he was. Other boats were with him.

37 A violent windstorm came up. The waves were breaking into the boat so that it was quickly filling up.

38 But he was sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat. So they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?"

39 Then he got up, ordered the wind to stop, and said to the sea, "Be still, absolutely still!" The wind stopped blowing, and the sea became very calm.

40 He asked them, "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith yet?"

41 They were overcome with fear and asked each other, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"