Mark 4:1-19 ▼

1 He began again to teach by the sea-side: but there was so great a crowd gathered about him, that he was oblig'd to go into a ship, where he sat down, and stay'd on board while the people stood on the shore.

2 then he addressed himself to them in many parables, and thus began his instructions.

3 give your attention to what I say, a sower went out to sow: as he sowed,

4 some of the seed happened to fall by the wayside, which the birds light upon, and devoured.

5 some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and it soon sprang up, for want of a sufficient depth of earth.

6 but when the sun was up, it was scorched, and for want of root, withered away.

7 some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choaked it, so that it yielded no fruit.

8 but part of it fell on good ground, which sprang up, and grew so fruitful, that some grains produced thirty, others sixty, and some an hundred.

9 he that hath ears to hear, said he, let him hear.

10 And when he was in private, the twelve, and some of his disciples asked him the meaning of the parable.

11 he answered, you are admitted into the secret of the gospel-dispensation: but to unbelievers every thing is couch'd in parables; because,

12 tho' they see, they will not perceive, and tho' they hear they will not understand: as if they were afraid of parting with their vices, in order to be pardoned.

13 but if, said he, you don't comprehend this easy parable, how can ye understand any of the rest?

14 the sower is he that soweth the word.

15 they who receiv'd seed by the wayside, are those in whom the word is sown, who no sooner have heard it, but satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 in like manner, they who receive seed on stony-ground, are such as upon hearing the word, do immediately receive it with joy.

17 but having no root at the bottom, they are only occasional professors, for if they meet with any trouble or persecution upon account of the word, immediately they revolt.

18 as for those, who receive seed as among thorns: they are such as hear the word.

19 but the cares of this life, the deceitful love of riches, and a crowd of different passions, stifle the word, and it becomes unfruitful.