Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ Many people came to him from many towns. Then he told them a story.

⁵ He said, `A man went out to sow his seed. As he sowed it, some seed fell on the road. People stepped on the seed. Birds ate it.

⁶ Some seed fell on the stony ground. It grew but soon died because the place was too dry.

⁷ Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die.

⁸ But some seed fell on good ground and it grew well. Those plants gave a hundred times as much grain as the man sowed.' When Jesus had said this, he called out, `Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'

⁹ His disciples asked Jesus what this story meant.

¹⁰ He said to them, `You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But other people must have stories. They will look, but they will not see. They will hear, but they will not understand.'