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While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:
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“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.
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Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
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Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
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Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
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His disciples asked him what this parable meant.
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He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’[a]