Matthew 13:1-9

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house ^(A)and sat beside the sea. ²And great crowds gathered about him, ^(B)so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³And ^(C)he told them many things in parables, saying: ^(D)“A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶but ^(E)when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, ^(F)they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among ^(G)thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some ^(H)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹^(I)He who has ears,^[a] let him hear.”

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Footnotes

Matthew 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear

Matthew 13:18-23

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸^(A)“Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of ^(B)the kingdom and ^(C)does not understand it, ^(D)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately ^(E)receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but ^(F)endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^(G)he falls away.^[a] ²²As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but ^(H)the cares of ^(I)the world and ^(J)the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and ^(K)understands it. He indeed ^(L)bears fruit and yields, in one case ^(M)a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”