Mark 4:10–20

WHY JESUS USED PARABLES

10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelveam asked him about the parables.an 11 He answered them, “The secretao of the kingdom of Godap has been given to you, but to those outside,aq everything comes in parables 12 so that

they may indeed look,

and yet not perceive;

they may indeed listen,

and yet not understand;ar

otherwise, they might turn back

and be forgiven.”A,B,as

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED

13 Thenat he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?au How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sowsav the word.aw 15 Some are like the word sown on the path.ax When they hear, immediately Satanay comes and takes away the wordaz sown in them.C 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.ba 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distressbb or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.bc 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worriesbd of this age,be the deceitfulnessD,bf of wealth,bg and the desiresbh for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.bi 20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,bj welcome it, and produce fruitbk thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”