1. Another time Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat and went out on the lake. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water.
2. Jesus used many stories to teach them. He said,
3. “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.
4. While the farmer was planting, some seed fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed.
5. Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. The seed grew very fast there because the ground was not deep.
6. But when the sun rose, the plants withered. The plants died because they did not have deep roots.
7. Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not make grain.
8. Some other seed fell on good ground. In the good ground, the seed began to grow. It grew and made a crop of grain. Some plants made 30 times more grain, some 60 times more grain, and some 100 times more grain.”
9. Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”
10. Later, when Jesus was alone, the 12 apostles and others around him asked him about the stories.
11. Jesus said, “Only you can know the secret truth about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories.
12. I do this so that:‘They will look and look, but they will not learn.They will listen and listen, but they will not understand.If they did learn and understand,they would come back to me and be forgiven.’” Isaiah 6:9-10