Mark 4:1-12 ▼

1 AGAIN he began to teach by the sea side; and many people gathered unto him, so that he went up and sat in a boat in the sea; and all the people stood on the land by the sea.

2 And he taught them much by parables, and in his teaching he said,

3 Listen; Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And when he had sown, some fell on the roadside, and the fowls came and ate it.

5 Other fell upon the rock, where there was not sufficient soil; and it sprung up earlier because the ground was not deep enough;

6 But when the sun shone, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it dried up.

7 And other fell among thistles, and the thistles sprung up and choked it, and it bore no fruit.

8 But other fell in good soil, and it sprung up and grew and bore fruit, some thirty, and some sixty, and some one hundred.

9 And he said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

10 When they were alone by themselves, those who were with him together with the twelve asked him about that parable.

11 And Jesus said to them, To you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the outsiders everything has to be explained by parables.

12 For seeing they see, and yet do not perceive; and hearing they hear, and yet do not understand; if they return, their sins would be forgiven.