1And it came to pass in the following order that he went through city after city and village after village, preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him.2And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary, who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,3and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's manager, and Susanna, and many others who were providing for them out of their own resources.4Now when a great crowd had gathered and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by means of a parable.5A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road and was trampled, and the birds of the heaven devoured it.6And other seed fell on the rock; when it grew it withered because it had no moisture.7And other seed fell among the thorns, and when the thorns grew up with it they choked it.8And other seed fell into the good soil; when it grew it produced fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things he called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.9Then his disciples questioned him, asking what this parable might mean.10He said, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, so that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand.11Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God.12Those beside the road are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.13Those on the rock are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, yet these have no root; they believe for a time and in time of testing they fall away.14Those that fell among the thorns are the ones who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and do not reach maturity.15Those in the good soil are the ones who, having heard the word with a good and noble heart, hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance.