Mark 4:10–25
10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began askingg him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
‘⌊they may look closely⌋h and not perceive,
and ⌊they may listen carefully⌋i and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’ ”j
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it,* immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are likek the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when* affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and* choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it* and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”l
21 And he said to them, “Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it?m Is it notn so that it may be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”