Jesus Explains the Seed Story^(A)

¹³ Then Jesus said to ·his followers [^Lthem], “Don’t you understand this ·story [parable]? If you don’t, how will you understand any ·story [parable; see 3:23]? ¹⁴ ·The farmer plants God’s message in people [^LThe sower sows the word]. ¹⁵ Sometimes the ·teaching [word; message] falls ·on the road [along the path]. This is like the people who hear the ·teaching of God [word; message], but Satan quickly comes and takes away the ·teaching [word; message] that was ·planted [sown] in them. ¹⁶ Others are like the seed ·planted [sown] on rocky ground. They hear the ·teaching [word; message] and quickly accept it with joy. ¹⁷ ·But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives [^LBut since they have no root in themselves], they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the ·teaching they accepted [word; message], they quickly ·give up [fall away; stumble]. ¹⁸ Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the ·teaching [word; message], ¹⁹ but the worries of this ·life [world; age], the ·temptation [deceitfulness; seduction] of wealth, and ·many other evil desires [desires for other things] ·keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives [^Lcome in and choke the word, making it unfruitful]. ²⁰ Others are like the seed ·planted [sown] in the good ground. They hear the ·teaching [word; message] and accept it. Then they grow and produce ·fruit [a crop]—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”

Jesus Explains the Seed Story^(A)

¹⁸ “So listen to the ·meaning of that story about the farmer [parable of the sower]. ¹⁹ What is the seed that fell ·by the road [along the path]? That seed is like ·the person [anyone] who hears the ·message [word; teaching] about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and ·takes away [snatches] what was ·planted [sown] in that person’s heart. ²⁰ And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] and quickly ·accepts [receives] it with joy. ²¹ But ·he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so [^Lsince he has no root in himself] ·he keeps it only a short time [he does not endure; it is shortlived]. When trouble or persecution comes because of the ·teaching he accepted [word, message], he ·quickly [immediately] ·gives up [falls away; stumbles]. ²² And what is the seed ·that fell [sown] among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the ·teaching [word; message] but lets worries about this ·life [world; age] and the ·temptation [deceitfulness; seduction] of wealth ·stop that teaching from growing [^Lchoke the word/message]. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life. ²³ But what is the seed ·that fell [sown] on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces ·fruit [a crop], sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”

¹¹ “This is what the ·story [parable] means: The seed is God’s ·message [word]. ¹² The seed that fell ·beside the road [along the footpath] is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but [^Lthen] the devil comes and takes it away from ·them [^Ltheir hearts] so they cannot believe it and be saved. ¹³ The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear God’s teaching and ·accept [receive] it ·gladly [^Lwith joy], but they ·don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives [^Lhave no root]. They believe for a while, but when ·trouble [^La time of temptation/testing] comes, they ·give up [fall away; depart]. ¹⁴ The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the ·worries [cares; anxieties], riches, and pleasures of this life ·keep them from growing and producing [^Lchoke/crowd them and they do not produce] ·good [mature; ripe] fruit. ¹⁵ And the seed that fell on the good ground is like those who hear ·God’s teaching [the word] with good, honest hearts and ·obey [cling/hold to] it and ·patiently [with perseverance] produce good fruit.