“Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(A) As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,(B) and the birds came and ate(C) it up. 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. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.(E) Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased(F) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”(G) 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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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:12 Other mss read and their sins be forgiven them
  2. Mark 4:12 Is 6:9-10
  3. Mark 4:15 Some people
  4. Mark 4:15 Other mss read in their hearts
  5. Mark 4:16 Other mss read are like
  6. Mark 4:19 Or pleasure, or deceitfulness

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(A) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(B)

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(C)

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(D) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(E) 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](F)

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(G) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(H) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(I) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

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Footnotes

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

“Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(A) As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,(B) and the birds came and devoured(C) it. 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. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.(E) Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased(F) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”(G) 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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Footnotes

  1. 4:12 Other mss read and their sins be forgiven them
  2. 4:12 Is 6:9–10
  3. 4:15 Other mss read in their hearts
  4. 4:19 Or seduction