Mark 4-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again^(A) He began to teach^(B) 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. ² He taught them many things in parables,^(C) and in His teaching^(D) He said to them: ³ “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^{(E) 4} As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,^(F) and the birds came and ate^(G) it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away,^(H) since it didn’t have deep soil. ⁶ When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.^{(I) 7} Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. ⁸ Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased^(J) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”^{(K) 9} Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”^(L)

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰ When He was alone with the Twelve,^(M) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.^{(N) 11} He answered them, “The secret^(O) of the kingdom of God^(P) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(Q) everything comes in parables ¹² so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³ Then^(T) He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable?^(U) How then will you understand any of the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows^(V) the word.^{(W) 15} These^[c] are the ones along the path^(X) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan^(Y) comes and takes away the word^(Z) sown in them.^{[d] 16} And these are^[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.^{(AA) 17} But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure^(AB) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.^{(AC) 18} Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries^(AD) of this age,^(AE) the seduction^[f](AF) of wealth,^(AG) and the desires^(AH) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^{(AI) 20} But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,^(AJ) welcome it, and produce a crop:^(AK) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”

Using Your Light

²¹ He^(AL) also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?^(AM) Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?^{(AN) 22} For nothing is concealed except to be revealed,^(AO) and nothing hidden except to come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!”^{(AP) 24} Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure^(AQ) you use,^[g](AR) it will be measured and added^(AS) to you. 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.”^(AT)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ “The kingdom of God^(AU) is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; ²⁷ he sleeps^(AV) and rises^(AW)—night^(AX) and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. ²⁸ The soil produces a crop^(AY) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain^(AZ) on the head. ²⁹ But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,^(BA) because the harvest^(BB) has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ And^(BC) He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,^(BD) or what parable^(BE) can we use to describe it? ³¹ It’s like a mustard seed^(BF) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. ³² And when sown,^(BG) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,^(BH) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky^(BI) can nest in its shade.”

Using Parables

³³ He would speak the word^(BJ) to them with many parables^(BK) like these, as they were able to understand.^{(BL) 34} And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.^(BM)

Wind and Wave Obey the Master

³⁵ On^(BN) that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” ³⁶ So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. ³⁷ A fierce windstorm^(BO) arose, and the waves^(BP) were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, sleeping^(BQ) on the cushion. So they woke Him up^(BR) and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”^(BS)

³⁹ He got up, rebuked^(BT) the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence!^(BU) Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful?^(BV) Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ And they were terrified^(BW) and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey^(BX) Him!”^(BY)

Demons Driven Out by the Master

5 Then^(BZ) they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[h] 2} As soon as He got out of the boat, a man with an unclean^(CA) spirit^(CB) came out of the tombs^(CC) and met Him. ³ He lived in the tombs.^(CD) No one was able to restrain him anymore—even with chains^(CE)— ⁴ because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had snapped off the chains and smashed^(CF) the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue^(CG) him. ⁵ And always, night^(CH) and day, he was crying out among the tombs^(CI) and in the mountains^(CJ) and cutting himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before Him. ⁷ And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me,^[i] Jesus, Son^(CK) of the Most High God?^(CL) I beg^[j] You before God, don’t torment^(CM) me!” ⁸ For He had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean^(CN) spirit!”^(CO)

⁹ “What is your name?” He asked him.

“My name is Legion,”^[k](CP) he answered Him, “because we are many.” ¹⁰ And he kept begging Him not to send them out of the region.

¹¹ Now a large herd of pigs^(CQ) was there, feeding^(CR) on the hillside. ¹² The demons^[l] begged Him, “Send us to the pigs, so we may enter them.” ¹³ And He gave them permission. Then the unclean^(CS) spirits^(CT) came out and entered the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there. ¹⁴ The men who tended them^[m] ran off^(CU) and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed^(CV) by the legion,^(CW) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;^(CX) and they were afraid.^{(CY) 16} The eyewitnesses described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed^(CZ) man and told about the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they began to beg Him to leave their region.

¹⁸ As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging Him to be with Him. ¹⁹ But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord^(DA) has done^(DB) for you and how He has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So he went out and began to proclaim^(DC) in the Decapolis^(DD) how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.^(DE)

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

²¹ When^(DF) Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd^(DG) gathered around Him while He was by the sea. ²² One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus,^(DH) came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet^{(DI) 23} and kept begging Him, “My little daughter is at death’s door.^[n] Come and lay Your hands on^(DJ) her so she can get well^(DK) and live.”

²⁴ So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against Him. ²⁵ A woman suffering from bleeding^(DL) for 12 years ²⁶ had endured^(DM) much under many doctors.^(DN) She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. ²⁷ Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched^(DO) His robe.^{(DP) 28} For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!”^{(DQ) 29} Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured^(DR) of her affliction.

³⁰ At once Jesus realized in Himself that power^(DS) had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd^(DT) and said, “Who touched My robes?”^(DU)

³¹ His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

³² So He was looking around to see who had done this. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came with fear and trembling, fell down^(DV) before Him, and told Him the whole truth.^{(DW) 34} “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith^(DX) has made you well.^[o](DY) Go in peace and be free^[p](DZ) from your affliction.”^(EA)

³⁵ While He was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher^(EB) anymore?”

³⁶ But when Jesus overheard what was said, He told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid.^(EC) Only believe.” ³⁷ He did not let anyone accompany Him except Peter,^(ED) James,^(EE) and John,^(EF) James’s brother. ³⁸ They came to the leader’s house, and He saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?^(EG) The child^(EH) is not dead but asleep.”^(EI)

⁴⁰ They started laughing at Him, but He put them all outside. He took the child’s father,^(EJ) mother, and those who were with Him, and entered the place where the child was. ⁴¹ Then He took the child^(EK) by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!”^[q] (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”^(EL)). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up^(EM) and began to walk.^(EN) (She was 12 years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.^{(EO) 43} Then He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this^(EP) and said that she should be given something to eat.