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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Mark 4 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/mark/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/mark/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > Mark 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../mark/3.htm" title="Mark 3">◄</a> Mark 4 <a href="../mark/5.htm" title="Mark 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch48004" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn48004" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">The Parable of the Sower.</span> <span id="v48004001" class="ver">1</span><a id="rfn48004001-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004001-1">*</a> On another occasion<a id="ren48004001-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004001-a">a</a> he began to teach by the sea.<a id="rfn48004001-2" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004001-2">*</a> A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.<a id="ren48004001-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004001-b">b</a> <span id="v48004002" class="ver">2</span>And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, <span id="v48004003" class="ver">3</span><a id="rfn48004003-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004003-1">*</a> “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. <span id="v48004004" class="ver">4</span>And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. <span id="v48004005" class="ver">5</span>Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. <span id="v48004006" class="ver">6</span>And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. <span id="v48004007" class="ver">7</span>Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. <span id="v48004008" class="ver">8</span>And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” <span id="v48004009" class="ver">9</span>He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">The Purpose of the Parables.</span> <span id="v48004010" class="ver">10</span>And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. <span id="v48004011" class="ver">11</span><a id="rfn48004011-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004011-1">*</a> He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, <span id="v48004012" class="ver">12</span>so that</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf">‘they may look and see but not perceive,</p> <p class="sl1">and hear and listen but not understand,</p> <p class="sll">in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’ ”<a id="ren48004012-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004012-c">c</a></p> </div> <p class="pcon"><span id="v48004013" class="ver">13</span><a id="rfn48004013-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004013-1">*</a> Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?<a id="ren48004013-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004013-d">d</a> Then how will you understand any of the parables? <span id="v48004014" class="ver">14</span>The sower sows the word. <span id="v48004015" class="ver">15</span>These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. <span id="v48004016" class="ver">16</span>And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. <span id="v48004017" class="ver">17</span>But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. <span id="v48004018" class="ver">18</span>Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, <span id="v48004019" class="ver">19</span>but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. <span id="v48004020" class="ver">20</span>But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Parable of the Lamp.</span> <span id="v48004021" class="ver">21</span><a id="ren48004021-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004021-e">e</a> He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?<a id="ren48004021-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004021-f">f</a> <span id="v48004022" class="ver">22</span>For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.<a id="ren48004022-g" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004022-g">g</a> <span id="v48004023" class="ver">23</span>Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” <span id="v48004024" class="ver">24</span>He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.<a id="ren48004024-h" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004024-h">h</a> <span id="v48004025" class="ver">25</span>To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”<a id="ren48004025-i" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004025-i">i</a></p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Seed Grows of Itself.</span> <span id="v48004026" class="ver">26</span>He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God;<a id="rfn48004026-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004026-1">*</a> it is as if a man were to scatter seed<a id="ren48004026-j" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004026-j">j</a> on the land <span id="v48004027" class="ver">27</span>and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. <span id="v48004028" class="ver">28</span>Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. <span id="v48004029" class="ver">29</span>And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">The Mustard Seed.</span> <span id="v48004030" class="ver">30</span><a id="ren48004030-k" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004030-k">k</a> He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? <span id="v48004031" class="ver">31</span>It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. <span id="v48004032" class="ver">32</span><a id="rfn48004032-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004032-1">*</a> But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” <span id="v48004033" class="ver">33</span>With many such parables<a id="ren48004033-l" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004033-l">l</a> he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. <span id="v48004034" class="ver">34</span>Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">The Calming of a Storm at Sea.</span> <span id="v48004035" class="ver">35</span><a id="rfn48004035-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004035-1">*</a> On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.”<a id="ren48004035-m" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004035-m">m</a> <span id="v48004036" class="ver">36</span>Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. <span id="v48004037" class="ver">37</span>A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. <span id="v48004038" class="ver">38</span>Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” <span id="v48004039" class="ver">39</span>He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”<a id="rfn48004039-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004039-1">*</a> The wind ceased and there was great calm. <span id="v48004040" class="ver">40</span>Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” <span id="v48004041" class="ver">41</span><a id="rfn48004041-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn48004041-1">*</a> <a id="ren48004041-n" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en48004041-n">n</a> They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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