4:1 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land.
4:1 And He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very great multitude gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

4:2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching,
4:2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,

4:3 Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:
4:3 "Listen [to this]! Behold, the sower went out to sow;

4:4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, some (seed) fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
4:4 and it came about that as he was sowing, some [seed] fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

4:5 And other fell on the rocky (ground), where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:
4:5 "And other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground] where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

4:6 and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
4:6 "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

4:7 And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
4:7 "And other [seed] fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

4:8 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
4:8 "And other [seeds] fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

4:9 And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
4:9 And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.
4:10 And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, [began] asking Him [about] the parables.

4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
4:11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables,

4:12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
4:12 in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN. "

4:13 And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?
4:13 And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?

4:14 The sower soweth the word.
4:14 "The sower sows the word.

4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them.
4:15 "And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

4:16 And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky (places), who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy;
4:16 "And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky [places,] who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;

4:17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble.
4:17 and they have no [firm] root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

4:18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word,
4:18 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

4:19 and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
4:19 and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

4:20 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
4:20 "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

4:21 And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, (and) not to be put on the stand?
4:21 And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure, is it, or under a bed? Is it not [brought] to be put on the lampstand?

4:22 For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was (anything) made secret, but that it should come to light.
4:22 "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has [anything] been secret, but that it should come to light.

4:23 If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.
4:23 "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you.
4:24 And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides.

4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
4:25 "For whoever has, to him shall [more] be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
4:26 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

4:27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.
4:27 and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows-- how, he himself does not know.

4:28 The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
4:28 "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

4:29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.
4:29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

4:30 And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?
4:30 And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth,
4:31 "[It is] like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

4:32 yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.
4:32 yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE ."

4:33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it;
4:33 And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it;

4:34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.
4:34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

4:35 And on that day, when even was come, he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.
4:35 And on that day, when evening had come, He *said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."

4:36 And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.
4:36 And leaving the multitude, they *took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him.

4:37 And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling.
4:37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.

4:38 And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Teacher, carest thou not that we perish?
4:38 And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *awoke Him and *said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"

4:39 And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
4:39 And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith?
4:40 And He said to them, "Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?"

4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
4:41 And they became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"