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

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)