Mark · Chapter 4

[ edit] And eft Jheſus bigan for to teche at þe ſee; and myche cumpany of peple is gedrid to hym, ſo þat he ſtyinge in to a boot, ſat in þe ſee, and al þe cumpany of peple was aboute þe ſee, on þe lond. And he tauȝte hem in parablis many þingis. And he ſeide to hem in his techynge, Heere ȝee. Loo! a man ſowynge goþ out for to ſowe. And þe while he ſowiþ, an oþer ſeed felde aboute þe wey, and briddis of heuene, or of þe eire, camen, and eeten it. Forſoþe an oþer felde doun on ſtony placis, wher it had nat myche erþe; and anoon it ſprong vp, for it hadde nat depneſſe of erþe. And whenne þe ſunne roſe vp, it welwide for heete, and it dried vp, for it hadde not roote.

And an oþer felde doun into þornes, and þornes ſtieden vp, and ſtrangliden it, and it ȝaue not fruyt. And an oþer felde doun in to good lond, and ȝaue fruyt, ſtyinge vp, and wexinge; and oon brouȝte þritty fold, and oon ſixtyfold, and oon an hundridfold. And he ſeide, He þat haþ eris of heeryng, heere. And whenne he was ſinguler, or by hym ſilf, þe twelue þat weren wiþ hym axiden hym for to expowne þe parable. And he ſeide to hem, To ȝou it is ȝouen for to knowe þe myſterie, or pryuite, of þe kyngdam of God.

Soþely to hem þat ben wiþ oute forþ, alle þingis ben maad in parablis, þat þei ſeynge ſe, and ſe nat, and þei heerynge heere, and vnderſtonde not; þat ſum tyme þei be conuertid, and ſynnes be forȝouen to hem. And he ſeiþ to hem, Witen not ȝee þis parable? and howe ȝee ſhulden knowe alle parablis? He þat ſowiþ, ſowiþ a word. Þeſe ſoþly ben þat aboute þe weye, where þe word is ſowun; and whenne þei han herd, anoon comeþ Saþanas, and takiþ awey þe word þat is ſowun in her hertis.

And alſo þeſe ben þat ben ſown on a ſtoon, þe whiche whanne þei han herd þe word, anoon taken it wiþ ioye; and þei han nat roote in hem ſilf, but þei ben temporal, þat is, laſten a lityl tyme; afterward tribulacioun ſprongen vp, and perſecucioun for þe word, anoon þei ben ſclaundrid. And þere ben oþer þat ben ſowun in þornis; þeſe it ben, þat heeren þe word, and myſeiſte of þe world, and diſſeit of richeſſis, and oþer charge of coueitiſe entrynge ynne, ſtrangulen þe word, and it is maad wiþ outen fruyt. And þeſe it ben þat ben ſowun on good lond, þe whiche heren þe word, and taken, and maken fruyt, oon þritti fold, oon ſixti fold, and oon an hundrid.

And he ſeide to hem, Wher a lanterne come, þat it be put vndir a buſhel? wher not, þat it be put vpon a candil ſtike? Forſoþe þer is no þing hid, þat ſhal not be maad opyn; neþer ony þing is preuy, þe whiche ſhal not come in to apert. If ony man haue eeris of heryng, heere he. And he ſeide to hem, Se ȝee what ȝee heeren. In what meſure ȝee meten, it ſhal be meten to ȝou, and be kaſt to ȝou. Soþely it ſhal be ȝouen to hym þat haþ, and it ſhal be taken awey from hym þat haþ not, alſo þat þat he haþ. And he ſeide, So þe kingdom of God is, as if a man caſte ſeed in to þe erþe, and it ſlepe, and ryſe vp in niȝt and day, and brynge forþ ſeed, and wexe faſte, þe while he wote not.

Forſoþe þe erþe by his owne worchynge makiþ fruyt, firſt an erbe, or grene corn, afterward an eere, afterward ful fruyt in þe ere. And whanne of it ſilf it haþ brouȝt forþ fruyt, anoon he ſendiþ a ſikil, or hook, for rype corn comeþ. And he ſeide, To what þing ſhulden we likene þe kyngdom of God? or to what parable ſhulen we compariſoune it? As a corn of ſeneueye, þe which whann it is ſowun in þe erþe, is leſſe þan alle ſeedis þat ben in erþe; and whanne it is bredd, or quykened, it ſtyȝeþ vp in to a tree, and is maad more þan alle wortis, or erbis; and it ſhal make grete braunchis, ſo þat briddis of heuene mowe dwelle vndir þe ſhadewe þer of.

And in many ſiche parablis he ſpac to hem a word, as þei miȝten heer; ſoþely he ſpak not to hem wiþ outen parable. Forſoþe he expounyde to his diſciplis alle þingis on ſidis hond, or by hem ſelf. And he ſeiþ to hem, in þat day, whenne euenyng was maad, Paſſe we aȝeinward. And þei leeuynge þe cumpanye of peple, taken hym, ſo þat he was in þe boot; and oþer bootis weren wiþ hym. And a greet ſtorme of wynd is maad, and ſente wawis in to þe boot, ſo þat þe boot was ful. And he was in þe hyndir part of þe boot, ſlepynge on a pilewe. And þei reyſen hym, and ſeien to hym, Maiſtre, perteneþ it nat to þee, þat we periſhen?

And he ryſynge vp, manaſſide to þe wynd, and ſeide to þe ſee, Be ſtille, wexe doumb. And þe wynd ceeſide, and greet peſibleneſſe is maad. And he ſeiþ to hem, What dreden ȝee? Nat ȝit han ȝee feiþ? And þei dredden wiþ greete dreed, and ſeiden to eche oþer, Who, geſſiſt þou, is þis? for þe wynd and þe ſee obeyſhen to hym.