4 And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land,

² and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching:

³ `Hearken, lo, the sower went forth to sow;

⁴ and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it;

⁵ and other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of not having depth of earth,

⁶ and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of not having root it did wither;

⁷ and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns did come up, and choke it, and fruit it gave not;

⁸ and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'

⁹ And he said to them, `He who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.'

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile,

¹¹ and he said to them, `To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;

¹² that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'

¹³ And he saith to them, `Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?

¹⁴ He who is sowing doth sow the word;

¹⁵ and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts.

¹⁶ `And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it,

¹⁷ and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.

¹⁸ `And these are they who toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word,

¹⁹ and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

²⁰ `And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'

²¹ And he said to them, `Doth the lamp come that under the measure it may be put, or under the couch -- not that it may be put on the lamp-stand?

²² for there is not anything hid that may not be manifested, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light.

²³ If any hath ears to hear -- let him hear.'

²⁴ And he said to them, `Take heed what ye hear; in what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you; and to you who hear it shall be added;

²⁵ for whoever may have, there shall be given to him, and whoever hath not, also that which he hath shall be taken from him.'