The Parable of the Sower^(A)

4 And ^(B)again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. ² Then He taught them many things by parables, ^(C)and said to them in His teaching:

³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds ^[a]of the air came and devoured it. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷ And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no ^[b]crop. ⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

⁹ And He said ^[c]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables^(D)

^10 (E)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. ¹¹ And He said to them, “To you it has been given to ^(F)know the ^[d]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to ^(G)those who are outside, all things come in parables, ¹² so that

Avoid Divisive Persons

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brethren, note those ^(A)who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and ^(B)avoid them. ¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord ^[a]Jesus Christ, but ^(C)their own belly, and ^(D)by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. ¹⁹ For ^(E)your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be ^(F)wise in what is good, and ^[b]simple concerning evil. ²⁰ And ^(G)the God of peace ^(H)will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

^(I)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Greetings from Paul’s Friends

^21 (J)Timothy, my fellow worker, and ^(K)Lucius, ^(L)Jason, and ^(M)Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

²² I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

^23 (N)Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. ^(O)Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. ^24 (P)The^[c] grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Benediction

^25 [d]Now ^(Q)to Him who is able to establish you ^(R)according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ^(S)according to the revelation of the mystery ^(T)kept secret since the world began ²⁶ but ^(U)now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for ^(V)obedience to the faith— ²⁷ to ^(W)God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.