¹² The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders,^{(A) 10} and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(B) 11} For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,^{(C) 12} so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.^(D)

Chosen for Salvation

¹³ But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits^[a] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.^{(E) 14} For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.^(F)

⁹ The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.^(A)

²³ For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^[a] in a mirror;^{(A) 24} for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.

¹⁵ These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.^(A)

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.^(A)

⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.