Study Desk

Again^(a) He began to teach^(b) 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 on the shore facing the sea.

He taught them many things in parables,^(c) and in His teaching^(d) He said to them:

"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^(e)

As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,^(f) and the birds came and ate^(g) it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it sprang up right away,^(h) since it didn't have deep soil.

When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered.⁽ⁱ⁾

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop.

Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased^(j) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown." ^(k)

Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!" ^(l)

When He was alone with the Twelve,^(m) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.⁽ⁿ⁾

He answered them, "The secret ^(o) of the kingdom of God^(p) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(q) everything comes in parables

so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; ^(r) otherwise, they might turn back— and be forgiven. " ^[a](s)[b]

Then^(t) He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable?^(u) How then will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows^(v) the word.^(w)

These^[c] are the ones along the path^(x) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan^(y) comes and takes away the word^(z) sown in them.^[d]

And these are^[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.^(aa)

But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure^(ab) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.^(ac)

Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

but the worries^(ad) of this age,^(ae) the seduction ^[f](af) of wealth,^(ag) and the desires^(ah) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^(ai)

But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,^(aj) welcome it, and produce a crop:^(ak) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown."