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)

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰ Then the disciples^(F) came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”^(G)

¹¹ He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,^(H) but it has not been given to them. ¹² For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.^{(I) 13} For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,^(J) and hearing they do not listen or understand.^{(K) 14} Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

¹⁶ “But your eyes are blessed^(N) because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!^{(O) 17} For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.^(P)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:^{(Q) 19} When anyone hears the word^[c] 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.^{(R) 20} And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.^{(S) 21} Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution^(T) 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^(U) and the seduction^[d] of wealth^(V) 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.”