4:1 耶稣又在海边上开始施教，有大伙群众聚集在他跟前，他只得上了一只船，在海上坐着，所有的群众都在海边地上。
On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. 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. 4:2 他用比喻教训他们许多事，在施教时，他向他们说：
And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 4:3 「你们听：有个撒种的出去撒种。
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4:4 他撒种的时候，有的落在路旁，飞鸟来把它吃了；
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 4:5 有的落在石头地里，那里没有多少土壤，即刻发了芽，因为所有的土壤不深，
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 4:6 太阳一出来，被晒焦了；又因为没有根，就干枯了；
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 4:7 有的落在荆棘中，荆棘长起来，把它窒息了，就没有结实；
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 4:8 有的落在好地里，就长大成熟，结了果实，有的结三十倍，有的六十倍，有的一百倍。」
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." 4:9 他又说：「有耳听的，听罢!」
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." 4:10 当耶稣独自一人的时候，那些跟从他的人和十二门徒便问他这些比喻的意义。
And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 4:11 耶稣对他们说：「天主国的奥义只赏给了你们，但对那些外人，一切都用比喻，
He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that 4:12 使他们看是看，却看不见；听是听，却听不明白，免得他们回头，而得赦免。」
’they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'" 4:13 耶稣对他们说：「你们不明白这个比喻，又怎能明白其他的一切比喻呢﹖
Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 4:14 那撒种的人撒的，是所讲的「话」。
The sower sows the word. 4:15 那撒在路旁的「话」，是指人听了后，撒殚立时来，把撒在他们心里的「话」夺了去。
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. 4:16 同样，那撒在石头地里的，是指人听了这「话」后，立刻欣然接受；
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 4:17 但他们心里没有根，不能持久，及至为了这「话」发生艰难或迫害，立刻就跌倒了。
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. 4:18 还有那撒在荆棘中的，是指人听了这「话」后，
Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 4:19 世俗的焦虑，财富的迷惑，以及其他的贪欲进来，把「话」蒙住了，结不出果实。
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 4:20 那撒在好地里的，是指人听了这「话」，就接受了，并结了果实，有的三十倍，有的六十倍，有的一百倍。」
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." 4:21 耶稣又向他们说：「人拿灯来，岂是为放在斗底或床下吗﹖不是为放在灯台上吗﹖
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? 4:22 因为没有什么隐藏的事，不是为显露出来的；也没有隐密的事，不是为彰明出来的。
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. 4:23 谁若有耳听，听罢!」
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear." 4:24 耶稣又向他们说：「要留心你们所听的：你们用什么尺度量给人，也要用什么尺度量给你们，且要多加给你们，
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. 4:25 因为凡有的，还要给他；凡没有的，连他所有的，也要从他夺去。」
To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." 4:26 他又说：「天主的国好比一个人把种子撒在地里，
He said,"This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 4:27 他黑夜白天，或睡或起，那种子发芽生长，至于怎样，他却不知道，
and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 4:28 因为土地自然生长果实：先发苗，后吐穗，最后穗上满了麦粒。
Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 4:29 当果实成熟的时候，便立刻派人以镰刀收割，因为到了收获的时期。」
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come." 4:30 他又说：「我们以什么比拟天主的国呢﹖或用什么比喻来形容它呢﹖
He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 4:31 它好象一粒芥子，种在地里的时候，比地上一切的种子都小；
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 4:32 当下种之后，生长起来，比一切蔬菜都大；并且长出大枝，以致天上的飞鸟能栖息在它的荫下。」
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." 4:33 耶稣用许多这样的比喻，按照他们所能听懂的，给他们讲道。
With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 4:34 若不用比喻，他就不给他们讲什么，但私下里却给自己的门徒解释一切。
Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. 4:35 在当天晚上，耶稣对门徒说：「我们渡海到对岸去罢!」
On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side." 4:36 他们遂离开群众，就照他在船上的原状，带他走了；与他一起的还有别的小船。
Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 4:37 忽然，狂风大作，波浪打进船内，以致小船已满了水。
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 4:38 耶稣却在船尾依枕而睡。他们叫醒他，给他说：「师傅!我们要丧亡了，你不管吗﹖」
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?" 4:39 耶稣醒来，叱责了风，并向海说：「不要作声，平定了罢!」风就停止了，遂大为平静。
He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. 4:40 耶稣对他们说：「为什么你们这样胆怯﹖你们怎么还没有信德呢﹖」
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" 4:41 他们非常惊惧，彼此说：「这人到底是谁﹖连风和海也听从他!」
They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"