Mark 4:1-20

1Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore.

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

3“Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.

4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep.

6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit.

8Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”

9Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

10When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables.

11He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables

12so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.”

13Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables?

14The sower sows the word.

15Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

16And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.

17But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.

18Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

19but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”