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Mark 4-5
New Life Version
Mark 4-5
New Life Version
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 “Listen! A man went out to plant seed. 4 As he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. Birds came and ate them. 5 Some seed fell among rocks. It came up at once because there was so little ground. 6 But it dried up when the sun was high in the sky because it had no root. 7 Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow. This seed gave no grain. 8 Some seed fell on good ground. It came up and grew and gave much grain. Some gave thirty times as much grain. Some gave sixty times as much grain. Some gave one hundred times as much grain.” 9 He said to them, “You have ears, then listen!” 10 Those who were with Jesus and the twelve followers came to Him when He was alone. They asked about the picture-story. 11 He said to them, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of God. Everything is told in picture-stories to those who are outside the holy nation of God. 12 They see, but do not know what it means. They hear, but do not understand. If they did, they might turn to God and have their sins forgiven.” (B)
Jesus Tells about the Man Who Planted the Seed
13 Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this picture-story? Then how will you understand any of the picture-stories? 14 What the man plants is the Word of God. 15 Those by the side of the road are the ones who hear the Word. As soon as they hear it, the devil comes and takes away the Word that is planted in their hearts. 16 The seed that fell among rocks is like people who receive the Word with joy when they hear it. 17 Their roots are not deep so they live only a short time. When sorrow and trouble come because of the Word, they give up and fall away. 18 The seed that was planted among thorns is like some people who listen to the Word. 19 But the cares of this life let thorns come up. A love for riches and always wanting other things let thorns grow. These things do not give the Word room to grow so it does not give grain. 20 The seed that fell on good ground is like people who hear the Word and understand it. They give much grain. Some give thirty times as much grain. Some give sixty times as much grain. Some give one hundred times as much grain.”
The Picture-Story of the Lamp
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp to be put under a pail or under a bed? Should it not be put on a lamp-stand? 22 Everything that is hidden will be brought into the light. Everything that is a secret will be made known. 23 You have ears, then listen!”
24 Jesus said to them, “Be careful what you listen to. The same amount you give will be given to you, and even more. 25 He who has, to him will be given. To him who does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him.”
The Picture-Story of the Grain
26 He said, “The holy nation of God is like a man who plants seed in the ground. 27 He goes to sleep every night and gets up every day. The seed grows, but he does not know how. 28 The earth gives fruit by itself. The leaf comes first and then the young grain can be seen. And last, the grain is ready to gather. 29 As soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it. The time of gathering the grain has come.”
The Picture-Story of the Mustard Seed
30 Jesus said, “In what way can we show what the holy nation of God is like? Or what picture-story can we use to help you understand? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed that is planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds. 32 After it is put in the ground, it grows and becomes the largest of the spices. It puts out long branches so birds of the sky can live in it.” 33 As they were able to understand, He spoke the Word to them by using many picture-stories. 34 Jesus helped His followers understand everything when He was alone with them.
The Wind and Waves Obey Jesus (C)
35 It was evening of that same day. Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 After sending the people away, they took Jesus with them in a boat. It was the same boat He used when He taught them. Other little boats went along with them. 37 A bad wind storm came up. The waves were coming over the side of the boat. It was filling up with water. 38 Jesus was in the back part of the boat sleeping on a pillow. They woke Him up, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?” 39 He got up and spoke sharp words to the wind. He said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be still.” At once the wind stopped blowing. There were no more waves. 40 He said to His followers, “Why are you so full of fear? Do you not have faith?” 41 They were very much afraid and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!”
Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs (D)
5 Jesus and His followers came to the other side of the sea to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 He got out of the boat. At once a man came to Him from among the graves. This man had a demon. 3 He lived among the graves. No man could tie him, even with chains. 4 Many times he had been tied with chains on his feet. He had broken the chains as well as the irons from his hands and legs. No man was strong enough to keep him tied. 5 Night and day he was among the graves and in the mountains. He would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When the man with the demon saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 The man spoke with a loud voice and said, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I ask You, in the name of God, do not hurt me!” 8 At the same time, Jesus was saying, “Come out of the man, you demon!” 9 Jesus asked the demon, “What is your name?” He said, “My name is Many, for there are many of us.” 10 The demons asked Jesus not to send them out of the country. 11 There were many pigs feeding on the mountain side. 12 The demons asked Him saying, “Send us to the pigs that we may go into them.” 13 Then Jesus let them do what they wanted to do. So they went into the pigs. The pigs ran fast down the side of the mountain and into the sea and died. There were about 2,000. 14 The men who cared for the pigs ran fast to the town and out to the country telling what had been done. People came to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had had the demons. He was sitting with clothes on and in his right mind. The men were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told what had happened to the man who had had the demons. They told what had happened to the pigs. 17 Then they asked Jesus to leave their country.
18 Jesus got into the boat. The man who had had the demons asked to go with Him. 19 Jesus would not let him go but said to him, “Go home to your own people. Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. Tell them how He had pity on you.” 20 The man went his way and told everyone in the land of Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him. All the people were surprised and wondered.
Two Were Healed through Faith (E)
21 Then Jesus went by boat over to the other side of the sea. Many people gathered around Him. He stayed by the sea-shore. 22 Jairus was one of the leaders of the Jewish place of worship. As Jairus came to Jesus, he got down at His feet. 23 He cried out to Jesus and said, “My little daughter is almost dead. Come and put Your hand on her that she may be healed and live.” 24 Jesus went with him. Many people followed and pushed around Jesus.
25 A woman had been sick for twelve years with a flow of blood. 26 She had suffered much because of having many doctors. She had spent all the money she had. She had received no help, but became worse. 27 She heard about Jesus and went among the people who were following Him. She touched His coat. 28 For she said to herself, “If I can only touch His coat, I will be healed.” 29 At once the flow of blood stopped. She felt in her body that she was healed of her sickness.
30 At the same time Jesus knew that power had gone from Him. He turned and said to the people following Him, “Who touched My coat?” 31 His followers said to Him, “You see the many people pushing on every side. Why do You ask, ‘Who touched My coat?’” 32 He looked around to see who had done it. 33 The woman was filled with fear when she knew what had happened to her. She came and got down before Jesus and told Him the truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free from your sickness.”
35 While Jesus spoke, men came from the house of the leader of the place of worship. They said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher anymore?” 36 Jesus heard this. He said to the leader of the Jewish place of worship, “Do not be afraid, just believe.” 37 He allowed no one to go with Him but Peter and James and John, the brother of James. 38 They came to the house where the leader of the place of worship lived. Jesus found many people making much noise and crying. 39 He went in and asked them, “Why is there so much noise and crying? The girl is not dead. She is sleeping.”
40 They laughed at Jesus. But He sent them all out of the room. Then He took the girl’s father and mother and those who were with Him. They went into the room where the girl was. 41 He took the girl by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” 42 At once the girl got up and walked. She was twelve years old. They were very much surprised and wondered about it. 43 He spoke sharp words to them that they should not tell anyone. He told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 4-5
New International Version
Mark 4-5
New International Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(D) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(E) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(F)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(G)
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(I) everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”(J)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(K) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(N) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(O) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(P)
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(Q) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(R)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(T)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(U)
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(W) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm(Y)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(Z) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(AA)
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man(AB)(AC)
5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[b] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat,(AD) a man with an impure spirit(AE) came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,(AF) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(AG) In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,”(AH) he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion(AI) of demons,(AJ) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them(AK) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[c](AL) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman(AM)
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,(AN) a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.(AO) 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders,(AP) named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on(AQ) her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding(AR) for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,(AS) I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.(AT)
30 At once Jesus realized that power(AU) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.(AV) Go in peace(AW) and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.(AX) “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing[d] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.(AY) 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,(AZ) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”(BA) 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand(BB) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).(BC) 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,(BD) and told them to give her something to eat.
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