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And when many people were gathered together and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable:
5
A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell along the way, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
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And some fell upon the rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
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And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
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And some fell on good ground and sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
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And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
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And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand.
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Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
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Those along the way are those that hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
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Those on the rock
are those that when they hear, receive the word with joy, but these have no root, who for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away.
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And that which fell among thorns are those who when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of
this life and bring no fruit to perfection.