Mark 4:1-12
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again (A)he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, (B)so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And (C)he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, (D)a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And (E)when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, (F)it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among (G)thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and (H)a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, (I)“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 And (J)when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, (K)“To you has been given (L)the secret of the kingdom of God, but for (M)those outside everything is in parables, 12 (N)so that
“‘they (O)may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they (P)should turn and be forgiven.’”
Luke 8:4-10
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Sower
4 (A)And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 (B)“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, (C)it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among (D)thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded (E)a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, (F)“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, (G)“To you it has been given to know (H)the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so (I)that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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