4:1 Again He began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea.
4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:
4:3 "Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.
4:4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn't have deep soil.
4:6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered.
4:7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop.
4:8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown."
4:9 Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"
4:10 When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.
4:11 He answered them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables
4:12 so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back-- and be forgiven."
4:13 Then He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?
4:15 These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.
4:16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
4:17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.
4:18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,
4:19 but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
4:20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown."
4:21 He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it to be put on a lampstand?
4:22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light.
4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!"
4:24 Then He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured and added to you.
4:25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."
4:26 "The kingdom of God is like this," He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground;
4:27 he sleeps and rises--night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--he doesn't know how.
4:28 The soil produces a crop by itself--first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head.
4:29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come."
4:30 And He said: "How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?
4:31 It's like a mustard seed that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground.
4:32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade."
4:33 He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.
4:34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.
4:35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the sea."
4:36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him.
4:37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
4:38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't You care that we're going to die?"
4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
4:40 Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?"
4:41 And they were terrified and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
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