Mark 4:3-20

Holman Christian Standard Bible

³ “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^{(A) 4} As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,^(B) and the birds came and ate^(C) it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away,^(D) since it didn’t have deep soil. ⁶ When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.^{(E) 7} Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. ⁸ Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased^(F) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”^{(G) 9} Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”^(H)

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰ When He was alone with the Twelve,^(I) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.^{(J) 11} He answered them, “The secret^(K) of the kingdom of God^(L) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(M) everything comes in parables ¹² so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³ Then^(P) He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable?^(Q) How then will you understand any of the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows^(R) the word.^{(S) 15} These^[c] are the ones along the path^(T) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan^(U) comes and takes away the word^(V) sown in them.^{[d] 16} And these are^[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.^{(W) 17} But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure^(X) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.^{(Y) 18} Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries^(Z) of this age,^(AA) the seduction^[f](AB) of wealth,^(AC) and the desires^(AD) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^{(AE) 20} But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,^(AF) welcome it, and produce a crop:^(AG) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”