New Testament in a Year
Chapter 4
The Parables—A Veiled Language[a]
The Parable of the Sower. 1 On another occasion he began to teach by the side of the lake. However, such a large crowd gathered that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while the whole crowd gathered on the shore facing the lake. 2 Then he taught them many things in parables.
In the course of his teaching, he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. It sprouted quickly, since the soil had no depth, 6 but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it lacked roots, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. 8 But some seed fell onto rich soil and brought forth grain, increasing and yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” 9 He then added, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10 The Reason for Parables. When he was alone, the Twelve and his other companions asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “To you has been granted knowledge of the mysteries[b] of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but fail to understand,
lest they be converted and be forgiven.’ ”[c]
13 The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.[d] He went on to say to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then are you to understand any of the parables? 14 What the sower is sowing is the word.
15 “Some people are like seed that falls along the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and carries off the word that has been sown in them.
16 “Others are like the seed sown on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no deep root and they endure for only a short time. When some trial or tribulation arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away.
18 “Those sown among thorns are the ones who hear the word, 19 but worldly cares, the lure of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.
20 “But those sown in rich soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit and yield thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was sown.”
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