Mark 4:3–20

3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. e 4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, f and the birds came and ate g it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, h since it didn’t have deep soil. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered. i 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased j 30, 60, and 100 times ⌊what was sown⌋.” k 9 Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!” l

Why Jesus Used Parables

10 When He was alone with the Twelve, m those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. n 11 He answered them, “The * secret o of the kingdom of God p has been given to you, but to those outside, q everything comes in parables 12 so that

they may look and look,

yet not perceive;

they may listen and listen,

yet not understand; r

otherwise, they might turn back—

and be forgiven.” s t u

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 Then v He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? w How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows x the word. y 15 These z are the ones along the path a where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan b comes and takes away the word c 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. f 17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure g or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately * stumble. h 18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries i of this age, j the seduction k l of wealth, m and the desires n for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. o 20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, p welcome it, and produce a crop: q 30, 60, and 100 times ⌊what was sown⌋.”