1. Again He began to teach 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.
2. He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:
3. “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.
4. As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn’t have deep soil.
6. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.
7. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop.
8. Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
9. Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen! ”
10. When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.
11. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables