Mark 4:3-25
New American Standard Bible
3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” 9 And He was saying, “(A)He who has ears to hear, [a]let him hear.”
10 As soon as He was alone, [b]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 (B)those who are outside, everything comes (C)in parables, 12 so that (D)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.”
Explanation of the Parable
13 (E)And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately (F)Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they [c]fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of (G)the [d]world, and the (H)deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it [e]becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and (I)bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
21 And He was saying to them, “(J)A lamp is not brought to be put under a [f]basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 (K)For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 (L)If anyone has ears to hear, [g]let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. [h](M)By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 (N)For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
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Mark 4:3-25
New King James Version
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds [a]of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no [b]crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said [c]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables(A)
10 (B)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to (C)know the [d]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to (D)those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
(E)‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”
The Parable of the Sower Explained(F)
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 (G)The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the (H)cares of this world, (I)the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, [e]accept it, and bear (J)fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Light Under a Basket(K)
21 (L)Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 (M)For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 (N)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. (O)With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 (P)For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Read full chapterNew American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
