THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.f 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.g

3 Then he told them many things in parables,h saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.i 9 Let anyone who has earsB listen.”j

WHY JESUS USED PARABLES

10 Then the disciplesk came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”l

11 He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,m but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.n 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,o and hearing they do not listen or understand.p 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,

but never understand;

you will look and look,

but never perceive.q

15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;

their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

otherwise they might see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears, and

understand with their hearts,

and turn back—

and I would heal them.C,r

16 “Blessed are your eyess because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.t 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.u

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED

18 “So listen to the parable of the sower:v 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.w 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.x