4. When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story:
5. A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was doing it, some of the seeds fell along the road and were stepped on or eaten by birds.
6. Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the plants did not have enough water and soon dried up.
7. Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants.
8. The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds.When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, “If you have ears, pay attention!”
9. Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant.
10. So he answered:I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand.
11. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message,
12. and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved.
13. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don't have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.
14. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything.
15. Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.