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The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 (A)“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of (B)the kingdom and (C)does not understand it, (D)the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately (E)receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but (F)endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately (G)he falls away.[a] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but (H)the cares of (I)the world and (J)the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and (K)understands it. He indeed (L)bears fruit and yields, in one case (M)a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:21 Or stumbles

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom(A) and does not understand it, the evil one(B) comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.(C) 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth(D) choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(E)

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13 (A)And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 (B)The sower sows (C)the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it (D)with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but (E)endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately (F)they fall away.[a] 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but (G)the cares of (H)the world and (I)the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and (J)bear fruit, (K)thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:17 Or stumble

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(A) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(B) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(C) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

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