Mark 4:1-20

The Parable of the Sower

4¹ And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land, ² and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching: ³ 'Hearken, lo, the sower went forth to sow; ⁴ and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it; ⁵ and other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of not having depth of earth, ⁶ and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of not having root it did wither; ⁷ and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns did come up, and choke it, and fruit it gave not; ⁸ and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.' ⁹ And he said to them, 'He who is having ears to hear—let him hear.' ¹⁰ And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile, ¹¹ and he said to them, 'To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done; ¹² that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.' ¹³ And he saith to them, 'Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes? ¹⁴ He who is sowing doth sow the word; ¹⁵ and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ 'And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it, ¹⁷ and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled. ¹⁸ 'And these are they who toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word, ¹⁹ and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. ²⁰ 'And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'