¹⁵ And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

^8 (A)Be sober-minded; ^(B)be watchful. Your ^(C)adversary the devil ^(D)prowls around ^(E)like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

³ And even ^(A)if our gospel is veiled, ^(B)it is veiled to ^(C)those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case ^(D)the god of this world ^(E)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing ^(F)the light of ^(G)the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^(H)who is the image of God.

¹¹ so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for ^(A)we are not ignorant of his designs.

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

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of ^(A)the kingdom and ^(B)does not understand it, ^(C)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’

⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵ But ^(A)they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,