10 As soon as He was alone, [a]His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for (A)those who are outside, everything comes (B)in parables, 12 so that (C)while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:10 Lit those about Him

The Reason for the Parables

10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking[a] him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

they may look closely[b] and not perceive,
    and they may listen carefully[c] and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’”[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:10 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began asking”)
  2. Mark 4:12 Literally “seeing they may see”
  3. Mark 4:12 Literally “hearing they may hear”
  4. Mark 4:12 A quotation from Isa 6:9–10

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(A) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(B) everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10