Mark 4:12-24

English Standard Version

^12 (A)so that

^13 (D)And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? ^14 (E)The sower sows ^(F)the word. ¹⁵ And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it ^(G)with joy. ¹⁷ And they have no root in themselves, but ^(H)endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^(I)they fall away.^{[a] 18} And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, ¹⁹ but ^(J)the cares of ^(K)the world and ^(L)the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²⁰ But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and ^(M)bear fruit, ^(N)thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

A Lamp Under a Basket

^21 (O)And he said to them, ^(P)“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? ^22 (Q)For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. ^23 (R)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: ^(S)with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.