10 As soon as He was alone, [a]His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for (A)those who are outside, everything comes (B)in parables, 12 so that (C)while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:10 Lit those about Him

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