A Story About Planting Seed^(A)

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake [^Cthe Sea of Galilee]. ² Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore. ³ Then Jesus used ·stories [parables] to teach them many things. He said: “A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. ⁴ While he was ·planting [sowing], some seed fell ·by the road [along the path], and the birds came and ate it all up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed ·grew [sprang up] very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants ·dried up [were scorched and withered], because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced ·a crop [grain]. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more. ⁹ ·Let those with ears use them and listen [^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear].”

A Story About Planting Seed^(A)

4 Again Jesus began teaching by the lake [^Cthe Sea of Galilee]. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. ² Jesus taught them many things, using ·stories [parables; see 3:23]. He said, ³ “Listen! A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. ⁴ While he was ·planting [sowing], some seed fell ·by the road [along the path], and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed ·grew [sprang up] very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants ·dried up [were scorched and withered] because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce ·a crop [grain]. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced ·a crop [grain]. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, ·“Let those with ears use them and listen!” [^L“Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

A Story About Planting Seed^(A)

⁴ When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this ·story [parable]:

⁵ “A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. While he was ·planting [sowing, scattering seed], some seed fell ·by the road [along the footpath]. People ·walked [trampled] on the seed, and the ·birds [^Lbirds of the sky] ate it up. ⁶ Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it ·died [withered; dried up] because it had no ·water [moisture]. ⁷ Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up with it and choked ·the good plants [^Lit]. ⁸ And ·some [^Lother] seed fell on good ·ground [soil] and grew and made a hundred times more.”

As Jesus finished the story, he called out, “·Let those with ears use them and listen [^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear]!”