1. Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore.
2. He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said,
3. "Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed.
4. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it.
5. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep.
6. When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots.
7. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing.