The Sower Explained

¹⁸ “^(A)Listen then to the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears ^(B)the ^[a]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, ^(C)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. ²⁰ The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the ^[b]word, immediately he ^[c](D)falls away. ²² And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of ^(E)the ^[d]world and the ^(F)deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it ^[e]becomes unfruitful. ²³ But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some ^(G)a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

¹¹ “Now this is the parable: ^(A)the seed is the word of God. ¹² And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; ^[a]they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they ^[b]fall away. ¹⁴ And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word ^[c]with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with ^[d]perseverance.