Why Jesus Used Parables

10 When He was alone with the Twelve,(A) those who were around Him 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

they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;(F)
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.[a](G)[b]

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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

The Reason for the Parables

10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking[a] him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

they may look closely[b] and not perceive,
    and they may listen carefully[c] and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’”[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:10 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began asking”)
  2. Mark 4:12 Literally “seeing they may see”
  3. Mark 4:12 Literally “hearing they may hear”
  4. Mark 4:12 A quotation from Isa 6:9–10