Gospel of Mar Marqos: - Chapter 4

1 Again he began to teach by the side of the sea. And there were gathered around him great multitudes; so he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, and all the multitude stood on the land by the side of the sea. 2 And he taught them with many parables. And in his teaching, he said: 3 Listen! Behold a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the side of the road; and a bird came, and ate it. 5 And other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was not much soil; and it quickly sprang up, because there was no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun was up, it burned*, and because it did not have a root, it dried up. 7 Others fell among a thorny area. And the thorns rose up and choked it, and it did not bear fruits. 8 But others fell on good ground, and rose up, and grew and produced fruits; some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred. 9 And he said: Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

10 Now when they were alone, those who were with him, with his* twelve, asked him about the parable. 11 And Yeshua said to them: To all of you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of Alaha; but to those outside, everything is in parables 12 so that when they see, they may see and not see, and when they hear, they may hear and not understand*; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven of their sins.

13 And he said to them: Do all of you not understand this parable? And how will all of you understand all parables? 14 The sower who sowed, he* sowed the word. 15 And those that fell on the side of the road, are those in whom the word is sown; and when they have heard it, satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And those sown on rocky ground, are they who, when they hear the word, immediately received it with joy. 17 And they have no root in them, but are fleeting; and when there are afflictions or persecutions because of the word, they are quickly upset. 18 And those sown into the thorny areas are they that hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, and the corruption of riches, and all of the other lusts enter in and choke the word, and it is without fruit. 20 And those that were sown upon good ground are those who heard the word, and receive it, and bear fruits, by thirties, and by sixties, and by hundreds.

21 And he said to them: Is a lamp brought to be placed under a basket, or is it placed under a bed? Should it not be placed on a lamp-stand? 22 For there is nothing which is hidden, which will not be uncovered; and nothing exists undisclosed, which will not be revealed. 23 If a man has ears to hear, let him hear. 24 And he said to them: Pay attention to what all of you are hearing; with what measure all of you measure, it shall be measured to all of you and there shall be more given to all of you who hear. 25 For he who has, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken from them. 26 And he said: The Kingdom of Alaha is like this, if a man who casts seed onto the ground, 27 will sleep and rise, at night and during the day, and the seed will grow an spring up, while he is unaware. 28 For the earth brings forth the fruit; first comes the plant, and next the ear, and at last the complete grain* in the ear. 29 When the fruit is ripe, immediately comes the sickle, because the harvest has come.

30 And he said: To what can we compare the Kingdom of Alaha? and with what parable can we compare it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is the smallest of all seeds sown in the earth; 32 and when it is sown it springs up, becoming greater than all the herbs, and produces branches so large that, under its shadow, birds can nest. 33 And Yeshua spoke parables like these, parables such as they were able to hear. 34 And he did not speak to them without parables; but he explained every thing to his disciples in confidentiality. 35 He said to them on that day, in the evening: Let us cross over to the other side. 36 And they left the multitudes, taking him away in the boat as he was. And there were also other boats with them. 37 And there was a great storm and wind; and the waves were coming into the boat, and it was going to be filled. 38 And Yeshua was sleeping on a blanket* in the stern of the boat. And they came and awoke him, and said to him: Master, do you not care that we are perishing*? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Die down; be calm. And the wind died down, and there occurred a great calm. 40 And he said to them: Why are all of you so afraid like this? and why is there not faith in all of you? 41 And they were filled with a great fear*: and they were saying to one another: For a certainty, who is this, that the winds and the sea obey him!

NOTES:

6, wilted, or burned

10, his twelve, SyrM.: the twelve

12, understand, or fully realise, or comprehend

14, SyrM. omits he

28, grain SyrM. says, wheat

4:38, blanket, SyrM.: pillow

38, perishing, or paraphrased: Do you know that we are about to perish?

41,filled with a great fear, Aram. literally says: they feared with a fear, or they feared with terror