Mark 4:3-19
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
they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;(N)
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”[a](O)[b]
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)
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Mark 4:3-19
Christian Standard Bible
3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(A) 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,(B) and the birds came and devoured(C) it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly,(D) since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.(E) 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased(F) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”(G) 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”(H)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve(I) 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
they may indeed look,
and yet not perceive;
they may indeed listen,
and yet not understand;(N)
otherwise, they might turn back
and be forgiven.”[a][b] (O)
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 all of the parables? 14 The sower sows(R) the word.(S) 15 Some are like the word sown on the path.(T) When they hear, immediately Satan(U) comes and takes away the word(V) sown in them.[c] 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(W) 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress(X) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.(Y) 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(Z) of this age,(AA) the deceitfulness[d](AB) of wealth,(AC) and the desires(AD) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(AE)
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