THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

4 Againaa he began to teachab by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 He taught them many things in parables,ac and in his teachingad he said to them, 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.ae 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,af and the birds came and devouredag it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly,ah since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.ai 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increasedaj thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”ak 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”al

WHY JESUS USED PARABLES

10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelveam asked him about the parables.an 11 He answered them, “The secretao of the kingdom of Godap has been given to you, but to those outside,aq everything comes in parables