Chapter IV

CHRIST'S PARABLES BY THE LAKE, AND HIS STILLING A TEMPEST. 1 [4:1]AND again he taught by the lake; and a very great multitude came together to him, so that entering into a ship he sat on the lake, and all the multitude were by the lake on the land. [4:2]And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them, in his teaching, [4:3]Hear! behold a sower went out to sow; [4:4]and in sowing, some fell on the way, and the birds came and devoured it. [4:5]And some fell on a rocky place, where it had not much earth, and it came up immediately, because it had no depth of earth; [4:6]and when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root it was dried up. [4:7]And some fell among thorns; and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. [4:8]And some fell on good ground, and produced fruit, growing up and increasing, and bore one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundred. [4:9]And he said, He that has ears, let him hear.

2 [4:10]And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, asked him the parable. [4:11]And he said to them, To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those without all things are in parables; [4:12]that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand, lest at any time they should turn, and be forgiven. [4:13]And he said to them, Do you not know this parable? How then will you know all parables?

3 [4:14]The sower sows the word. [4:15]And these are those where the word is sown by the way; and when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word which was sown upon them. [4:16]And these in like manner are those sown on the rocky places; when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy, [4:17]and have no root in themselves, but are temporary [disciples]. Then, when affliction or persecution occurs on account of the word, they are immediately offended. [4:18]And those sown among thorns are different. They are those who hear the word, [4:19]and the cares of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things coming in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. [4:20]And these are those sown in good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.

4 [4:21]And he said to them, Does a light come to be put under a modius [1.916 gallon measure], or under a bed? and not to be put in a candlestick? [4:22]For there is nothing hid that shall not be made manifest, nor any thing concealed that shall not come to light. [4:23]If any one has ears to hear, let him hear. [4:24]And he said to them, Consider what you hear. With what measure you measure it shall be measured to you, and more shall be given you. [4:25]For whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away.

5 [4:26]And he said, So is the kingdom of God as a man casts the seeds into the earth, [4:27]and sleeps and wakes, night and day, and the seed germinates, and grows he knows not how. [4:28]The earth produces spontaneously, first the stalk, then the head, then the full wheat in the head. [4:29]And when the wheat delivers itself, he immediately sends out the sickle, because the harvest has come. [4:30]And he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? or with what parable shall I present it? [4:31]It is like a mustard seed, which when sown in the earth is the least of all seeds on the earth; [4:32]but when sown, it comes up, and becomes the greatest of all plants, and produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven can dwell under its shade. [4:33]And with many such parables spoke he the word to them as they could hear; [4:34]but without a parable spoke he not to them; and, privately, he explained all things to his disciples.

6 [4:35]And on that day, when it was evening, he said to them, Let us cross over to the other side. [4:36]And dismissing the multitude, they took him as he was in the ship; and other ships also were with him. [4:37]And there was a great tempest of wind, and the waves beat over the ship, so that the ship was already filled. [4:38]And he was in the stern, on the pillow, asleep. And they awoke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we perish? [4:39]And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the lake, Hush! Be still! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [4:40]And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? How have you no faith? [4:41]And they were greatly afraid, and said one to another, What man is this, that even the wind and the lake obey him?