Mark 4:1–25

Parable of the Soils

Matt. 13:1–23; Luke 8:4–15

4And ^aagain He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. ²Then He taught them many things by parables, ^band said to them in His teaching:

³“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds ¹of the air came and devoured it. ⁵Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no ²crop. ⁸But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

⁹And He said ³to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

^10cBut when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. ¹¹And He said to them, “To you it has been given to ^dknow the ⁴mystery of the kingdom of God; but to ^ethose who are outside, all things come in parables, ¹²so that

^f‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,

And hearing they may hear and not understand;

Lest they should turn,

And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

¹³And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? ^14gThe sower sows the word. ¹⁵And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹and the ^hcares of this world, ⁱthe deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, ⁵accept it, and bear ^jfruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Parable of the Lamp

Luke 8:16–18

^21kAlso He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? ^22lFor there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. ^23mIf anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

²⁴Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. ⁿWith the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ^25oFor whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”