Mark 4:1-34

The Parable of the Sower

4¹ And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that going on board ship he sat in the sea, and all the crowd were close to the sea on the land. ² And he taught them many things in parables. And he said to them in his doctrine, ³ Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow. ⁴ And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up out [of the ground] because it had no depth of earth; ⁶ and when the sun arose it was burnt up, and because of its not having any root, it withered. ⁷ And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. ⁸ And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and 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 about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables, ¹² that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven. ¹³ And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word: ¹⁵ and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are they in like manner who are sown upon the rocky places, who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, but are for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are offended. ¹⁸ And others are they who are sown among the thorns: these are they who have heard the word, ¹⁹ and the cares of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ And these are they who have been sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit; one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred [fold].

A Candle under a Bushel

²¹ And he said to them, Does the lamp come that it should be put under the bushel or under the couch? [Is it] not that it should be set upon the lamp-stand? ²² For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest; nor does any secret thing take place, but that it should come to light. ²³ If any one have ears to hear, let him hear. ²⁴ And he said to them, Take heed what ye hear; with what measure ye mete, it shall be meted to you; and there shall be [more] added to you. ²⁵ For whosoever has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, even what he has shall be taken from him.

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth, ²⁷ and should sleep and rise up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth bears fruit of itself, first [the] blade, then an ear, then full corn in the ear. ²⁹ But when the fruit is produced, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest is come.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ And he said, How should we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison should we compare it? ³¹ As to a grain of mustard [seed], which, when it is sown upon the earth, is less than all seeds which are upon the earth, ³² and when it has been sown, mounts up and becomes greater than all herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven can roost under its shadow.

Jesus' Use of Parables

³³ And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear, ³⁴ but without a parable spoke he not to them; and in private he explained all things to his disciples.