Mark 4:1-12 ▼

1 And again he began to teach by the sea: and a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that he, having gone into the ship, sat in the sea; and all the crowd was by the sea upon land.

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

3 Hear ye; behold, he sowing went out to sow:

4 And it was in sowing some truly fell by the way, and the flying things of heaven came and ate it down.

5 And other fell upon stony places, where it had not much earth; and quickly it sprang forth, for it had no deepness of earth:

6 And the sun having risen, it was parched up; and because it had no root, it was dried up.

7 And other fell in thorns, and the thorns came up, and choked it, and it gave no fruit.

8 And other fell in good earth, and gave fruit coming up and increasing; and one brought thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.

9 And he said to them, He having ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, they about him with the twelve asked him of the parable.

11 And he said to them, To you has it been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to those without, all are in parables:

12 That seeing they might see, and not know; and hearing they might hear, and not understand; lest they turn back, and their sins be remitted to them.