Mark 4:1–34

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again q He began to teach r by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables, s and in His teaching t He said to them: 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. u 4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, v and the birds came and ate w it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, x 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. y 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 z 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.” a 9 Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!” b

Why Jesus Used Parables

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

they may look and look,

yet not perceive;

they may listen and listen,

yet not understand; h

otherwise, they might turn back—

and be forgiven.” i j k

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 Then l He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? m How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows n the word. o 15 These p are the ones along the path q where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan r comes and takes away the word s sown in them. t 16 And these are u the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. v 17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure w or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately * stumble. x 18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries y of this age, z the seduction a b of wealth, c and the desires d for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. e 20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, f welcome it, and produce a crop: g 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”

Using Your Light

21 He h also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? i Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? j 22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, k and nothing hidden except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!” l 24 Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure m you use, n o it will be measured and added p to you. 25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” q

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 “The kingdom of God r is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; 27 he sleeps s and rises t—night u and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop v by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain w on the head. 29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, x because the harvest y has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 And z He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, a or what parable b can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed c that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown, d it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, e and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky f can nest in its shade.”

Using Parables

33 He would speak the word g to them with many parables h like these, as they were able to understand. i 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples. j