4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret 3 of the kingdom of God has been given 4 to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,
4:12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.” 5
4:13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then 6 how will you understand any parable? 4:14 The sower sows the word. 4:15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan 7 comes and snatches the word 8 that was sown in them. 4:16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 4:17 But 9 they have no root in themselves and do not endure. 10 Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 4:19 but 11 worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, 12 and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, 13 and it produces nothing. 4:20 But 14 these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
4:21 He also said to them, “A lamp 15 isn’t brought to be put under a basket 16 or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand? 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, 17 and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” 18 4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, 19 and more will be added to you. 4:25 For whoever has will be given more, but 20 whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” 21
4:26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. 4:27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 4:28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 4:29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle 22 because the harvest has come.” 23
4:30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? 4:31 It is like a mustard seed 24 that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground – 4:32 when it is sown, it grows up, 25 becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds 26 can nest in its shade.” 27
4:33 So 28 with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
4:35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus 29 said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” 30 4:36 So 31 after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, 32 and other boats were with him. 4:37 Now 33 a great windstorm 34 developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 4:38 But 35 he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39 So 36 he got up and rebuked 37 the wind, and said to the sea, 38 “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then 39 the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. 4:40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” 4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? 40 Even the wind and sea obey him!” 41