Luke 8:4-15

4As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable,

5“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

6Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture.

7Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

8Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up, it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

9Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

10So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

12The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.

14As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.

15But the seed in the good ground — these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.