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13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. 18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, 19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

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The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 Then(A) he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?(B) How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows(C) the word.(D) 15 Some are like the word sown on the path.(E) When they hear, immediately Satan(F) comes and takes away the word(G) sown in them.[a] 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(H) 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress(I) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.(J) 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(K) of this age,(L) the deceitfulness[b](M) of wealth,(N) and the desires(O) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(P) 20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,(Q) welcome it, and produce fruit(R) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”

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Footnotes

  1. 4:15 Other mss read in their hearts
  2. 4:19 Or seduction