Mark 4:21–34

The Parable of the Lamp

²¹And 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? ²²For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. ²³If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” ²⁴And 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. ²⁵For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Parable of the Seed that Grows by Itself

²⁶And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.^{o 28}By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed that when sown on the ground, although it^* is the smallest of all the seeds that are on the ground, ³²but when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all the garden herbs, and sends out large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade.” ³³And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.^{* 34}And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.