The Parable of the Sower

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.^{(A) 2} Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.^(B)

³ Then he told them many things in parables,^(C) saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.^{(D) 9} Let anyone who has ears^[a] listen.”^(E)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “So listen to the parable of the sower: ^{(A) 19} When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.^{(B) 20} And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.^{(C) 21} But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution^(D) comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age^(E) and the deceitfulness^[a] of wealth^(F) choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”