Mark 4:1-12 ▼

1 And again He began to teach by the seaside. And there is gathered to Him a very great multitude, so that He, having entered into a boat, was sitting in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land.

2 And He taught them many things in parables, and said to them in His teaching,

3 "Hearken! behold the sower went forth to sow.

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.

5 And other fell on the rocky ground where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because of not having depth of earth;

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

7 And other fell among the thorns; and the thorns sprang up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And others fell into the good ground, and were yielding fruit, springing up and growing; and bore, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."

9 And He said, "He that has ears to hear, let him hear."

10 And, when He was alone, those who were about Him with the twelve asked Him as to the parables.

11 And He said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those without all things are done in parables;

12 that, seeing, they may see, and not perceive; and, hearing, they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn, and be forgiven."