Mark 4 NLT ISV Parallel

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1Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.

1Then Jesus began to teach again beside the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the entire crowd remained beside the sea on the shore.

2He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

2He began teaching them many things in parables. While he was teaching them he said,

3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.

3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow.

4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

4As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up.

5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.

5Others fell on stony ground, where they didn't have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once, because the soil wasn't deep.

6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.

6But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they didn't have any roots, they dried up.

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.

7Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they didn't produce anything.

8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

8But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown."

9Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9He added, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

10Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

10When he was alone with the Twelve and those around him, they began to ask him about the parables.

11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,

11He told them, "The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables

12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’ ”

12so that 'they may see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'"

13Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?

13Then he told them, "You don't understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables?

14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.

14The farmer sows the word.

15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.

15Some people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

16Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it,

17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

17but since they don't have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away.

18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word,

18Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word,

19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

19but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can't produce a crop.

20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Parable of the Lamp

20Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—30, 60, or 100 times what was sown."

21Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.

21Then Jesus told them, "A lamp isn't brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It's to be put on a lamp stand, isn't it?

22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.

22Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light.

23 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

23If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!

24Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given —and you will receive even more.

24He went on to say to them, "Pay attention to what you're hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given to you,

25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” Parable of the Growing Seed

25because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

26Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.

26He was also saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.

27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.

27He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn't know how

28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.

28the ground produces grain by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” Parable of the Mustard Seed

29But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come."

30Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?

30He was also saying, "How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it?

31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,

31It's like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it's the smallest of all the seeds on earth,

32 but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

32when it's planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade."

33Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.

33With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand.

34In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them. Jesus Calms the Storm

34He did not tell them anything without using a parable, though he explained everything to his disciples in private.

35As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”

35That day, when evening had come, he told them, "Let's cross to the other side."

36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

36So they left the crowd and took him away in a boat without making any special preparations. Other boats were with him.

37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

37A violent windstorm came up, and the waves began breaking into the boat, so that the boat was rapidly becoming swamped.

38Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

38But Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and asked him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?"

39When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.

39Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, "Calm down! Be still!" Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm.

40Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

40He asked them, "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith yet?"

41The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

41Overcome with fear, they kept saying to one another, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"

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