Mark 4:8-26

⁸Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”

⁹And Jesus said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”

¹⁰Afterward, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables;

¹¹and he said, “To you the hidden truth of the kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables so that —

¹²‘Though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; and though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; otherwise some day they might turn and be forgiven.’”

¹³“You do not know the meaning of this parable?” he went on; “Then how will you understand all the other parables?

¹⁴The sower sows the message.

¹⁵The people meant by the seed that falls along the path are these — where the message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the message that has been sown in them.

¹⁶So, too, those meant by the seed sown on the rocky places are the people who, when they have heard the message, at once accept it joyfully;

¹⁷but, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises because of the message, they fall away at once.

¹⁸Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message,

¹⁹but the cares of life, and the glamour of wealth, and cravings for many other things come in and completely choke the message, so that it gives no return.

²⁰But the people meant by the seed sown on the good ground are those who hear the message, and welcome it, and yield a return, thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”

²¹Jesus said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under the couch, instead of being put on the lamp-stand?

²²There is nothing hidden that will not come to light and nothing is concealed that will not be brought into the open.

²³Let all who have ears to hear with hear.

²⁴“Take care what you listen to,” said Jesus. “The standard you use will be used for you, and more will be added for you.

²⁵For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

²⁶Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like — like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,