Mark 4:1-27 ▼

1 And He began to teach again by the sea-side, and there was gathered unto Him a great multitude; so that He went into a ship, and sat on board, and all the people were by the sea, upon the shore.

2 And He taught them many things by similitudes, and said to them in his instruction,

3 hearken, Behold a sower went out to sow:

4 and in sowing, some fell by the way- side, and the birds came and ate it up:

5 and some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and it sprang up immediately, because it had not depth of earth;

6 but when the sun rose, it was burnt up, and withered because it had no root:

7 and some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit:

8 and other fell on good ground, and yielded fruit springing up and increasing; and produced some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred- fold.

9 And He said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when He was apart from the multitude, those that were about Him with the twelve asked Him concerning the parable.

11 And he said unto them, To you it is granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without all things are delivered in parables:

12 that in seeing they may see and not perceive, and in hearing they may hear and not understand, least they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them.

13 Then saith He unto them, Do ye not understand this parable? how then will ye understand all my other parables.

14 The sower is he that soweth the word. And these are they by the way- side:

15 where the word is sown; but when they have heard it, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And in like manner, they that are sown as on stony grounds are such, as when they hear the word,

17 immediately receive it with joy, but have no root in themselves, and so continue but for a short season: and then, when affliction cometh, or persecution on account of the word, they are as soon offended.

18 And those that are sown as among thorns, are these: such as hear the word indeed,

19 but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and inordinate desires after other things entering in choke the word, and so it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they who are like seed sown on good ground: such as hear the word, and receive it; and bring forth fruit, some thirty- fold, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

21 And He said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 for there is nothing hidden, which may not be revealed; nor was there any thing concealed, but in order to become manifest.

23 If any one hath ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And mind what ye hear: for with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you; and more shall be imparted to you that are observant:

25 for whosoever hath, to him more shall be given; and he that hath not, even what he hath, or seemeth to have, shall be taken from him.

26 And He said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground,

27 and sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up, and increase; he knows not how.