Book of Common Prayer

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath day almost all of the people in that city gathered to hear God's word.

⁴⁵ The leaders of the Jews saw that many people came. They were very jealous. They talked back to Paul and said he was not telling the truth. They also said wrong things about him.

⁴⁶ But Paul and Barnabas did not fear the Jewish leaders. They said, `We had to tell God's word to you first but you will not listen to it. By that you are saying you Jews are not good enough to live for ever. So we will go to the people who are not Jews.

⁴⁷ That is what the Lord told us to do. He said, "I have made you to be a light to the people who are not Jews. You will tell people everywhere in the world how to be saved." '

⁴⁸ Those who were not Jews heard this. They were glad and they thanked God for his message. All those who had been chosen to live for ever believed.

⁴⁹ The word of the Lord was told through all that part of the country.

⁵⁰ But the leaders of the Jews talked to the leading women who worshipped God and to the chief men of Antioch. They made plenty of trouble for Paul and Barnabas. They made them leave that part of the country.

⁵¹ So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet and left them. They went on to Iconium.

⁵² And the followers were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

4 Jesus began to teach people by the sea again. Many people came to him. So he got in a boat on the sea and sat down. The people were by the sea on the land.

² He told the people stories and taught them many things.

³ He said, `Listen. A man went out to sow some seed.

⁴ As he sowed it, some of the seed fell on the road. Birds came and ate the seed.

⁵ Some seed fell on the stony ground. Not much ground covered the stones. The seed started to grow right away because it was not deep in the ground.

⁶ When the sun began to shine, it was too hot for the new plants. They died because they had no roots.

⁷ Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die. So no seeds grew on them.

⁸ But some seed fell on good ground. That seed grew and the plants gave more seed. Some plants gave thirty seeds. Some gave sixty. And some gave a hundred.'

⁹ Jesus said to them, `Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'

¹⁰ Later, Jesus was alone. Then the twelve disciples and the other people who were there asked him about the stories.

¹¹ He said to them, `You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But we must use stories to tell the other people.

¹² `They may look and look, but they will not see. They may listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did understand, they would turn back to God and he would forgive them for the wrong things they have done.'

¹³ Jesus said also, `Do you not understand this story? How then are you going to understand all the stories?

¹⁴ The man who sows the seed tells God's message.

¹⁵ Those beside the road are like people who hear the message. But as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes it out of their hearts

¹⁶ The seed that fell on the stony ground is the same. It is like people who hear the message and as soon as they hear it they are very glad.

¹⁷ They believe it for a short time. When trouble or a hard time comes because of the message, they stop believing.

¹⁸ The seed that fell among the weeds is like people who hear the message.

¹⁹ But they think about the things of this world. They want to get money and other things to be happy. These things push the message out of their hearts. No good comes from it.

²⁰ But some seed fell on good ground. That is like people who hear the message and understand it. Much good comes from it. Some people are like the seed that made thirty seeds. Some people are like the seed that gave sixty. Some people are like the seed that gave a hundred.'