The Parable of the Sower

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.^{(A) 2} Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.^(B)

³ Then He told them many things in parables,^(C) saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. ⁴ As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. ⁷ Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. ⁸ Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.^{(D) 9} Anyone who has ears^[a] should listen!”^(E)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:^{(A) 19} When anyone hears the word^[a] about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.^{(B) 20} And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.^{(C) 21} Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution^(D) comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²² Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age^(E) and the seduction^[b] of wealth^(F) choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown.”