Mark 4:10-20

Christian Standard Bible

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰ When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve^(A) asked him about the parables.^{(B) 11} He answered them, “The secret^(C) of the kingdom of God^(D) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(E) everything comes in parables ¹² so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³ Then^(H) he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?^(I) How then will you understand all of the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows^(J) the word.^{(K) 15} Some are like the word sown on the path.^(L) When they hear, immediately Satan^(M) comes and takes away the word^(N) 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.^{(O) 17} But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress^(P) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.^{(Q) 18} Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries^(R) of this age,^(S) the deceitfulness^[d](T) of wealth,^(U) and the desires^(V) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^{(W) 20} And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,^(X) welcome it, and produce fruit^(Y) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”