1And again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat in the sea, and all the crowd was by the sea on the land.2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and he was saying to them in his teaching,3Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow.4And it happened in the sowing that some fell beside the road, and the birds came and devoured it.5And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.6And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.7And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.8And other seed fell into the good soil and was giving fruit that came up and grew, and it was bearing thirty and sixty and a hundred.9And he was saying, Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.10And when he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables.11And he said to them, To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given, but to those outside everything comes in parables,12so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they should turn and it be forgiven them.13And he said to them, "Do you not know this parable? And how will you know all the parables?"14The sower sows the word.15These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.16And these are likewise the ones sown on the rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,17and they have no root in themselves but are temporary; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.18And others are the ones sown among the thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,19and the cares of the age and the deceit of riches and the remaining desires come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20And those are the ones sown on the good soil who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundred.