4:1

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

4:2

He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:

4:3

"Listen! A sower went out to sow.

4:4

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

4:5

Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil.

4:6

And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away.

4:7

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

4:8

Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

4:9

And he said, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

4:10

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables.

4:11

And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret ^F33 of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables;

4:12

in order that "they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.' "

4:13

And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?

4:14

The sower sows the word.

4:15

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

4:16

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy.

4:17

But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. ^F34

4:18

And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word,

4:19

but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing.

4:20

And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

FOOTNOTES:
F33: Or [mystery]
F34: Or [stumble]

4:1

He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge.

4:2

He taught by using stories, many stories.

4:3

"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed.

4:4

As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.

4:5

Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots,

4:6

so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.

4:7

Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.

4:8

Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.

4:9

"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

4:10

When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories.

4:11

He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom - you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.

4:12

These are people - Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."

4:13

He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.

4:14

"The farmer plants the Word.

4:15

Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

4:16

"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm.

4:17

But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

4:18

"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news

4:19

but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

4:20

"But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."