Luke 8:2–11

2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)z from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’sa household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”b

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,c but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“ ‘though seeing, they may not see;

though hearing, they may not understand.’a d

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.e