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23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how. 28 For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? 31 It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, 32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

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23 If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.

24 And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [a][of thought and study] you give [to [b]the truth you hear] will be the measure [c][of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [[d]by force],

26 And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground,

27 And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and [e]increases—he knows not how.

28 The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he [f]sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.

30 And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth;

32 Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:24 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
  2. Mark 4:24 James C. Gray and George M. Adams, Bible Commentary; Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; and others.
  3. Mark 4:24 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
  4. Mark 4:25 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  5. Mark 4:27 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  6. Mark 4:29 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.