Mark 4:1-19 ▼

1 And again he began to teach by the sea; and a great multitude came together to him, so that he went into a ship, and sat in the sea: and the whole multitude was on the land near the sea.

2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching:

3 Hear; Behold, the sower went forth to sow;

4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Other seed fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth: and it immediately sprung up, because it had no depth of earth.

6 And when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no fruit.

8 And other seed fell in the good ground, and produced fruit that grew up and increased, and produced, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundred.

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 the meaning of the parable.

11 And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are without, all things are done in parables;

12 that they may surely see, and not perceive; and that they may surely hear, and not understand; lest they should turn to me, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13 And he said to them: Do you not understand this parable? And how then will you understand all parables?

14 The sower sows the word.

15 These are they that received seed by the wayside, where the word is sown; and when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they that, in like manner, received seed in stony places: who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy:

17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecution arises on account of the word, they immediately take offense.

18 And these are they that received seed among thorns; who hear the word,

19 and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.