Mark 4:1-20

¶ And he began again to teach by the sea side, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea, and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, the sower went out to sow; and it came to pass as he sowed some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth; but when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty and some sixty and some a hundred. And he said unto them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, those that were close to him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto those that are without, all these things are done in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? How then will ye understand all the parables? The sower is he who sows the word. And these are those by the way side, in whom the word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. And likewise these are those who are sown on stony ground, who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness but have no root in themselves and are temporal; afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are those who are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And these are those who are sown in good ground, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.