“The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew, and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in it's boughs.

now the meaning of the parable is this: the seed sown signifies the word of God.

And much people being gathered together, coming to him out of every city, he spake by a parable, A sower went forth to sow his seed:

Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown.” As He said this, He called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”

Because I was in fear of you, for you are a hard man: you take up what you have not put down, and get in grain where you have not put seed.

He said to him, By the words of your mouth you will be judged, you bad servant. You had knowledge that I am a hard man, taking up what I have not put down and getting in grain where I have not put seed;

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

And other seed fell on a rock, and vegetating, withered because it had no moisture.

And other seed fell amidst thorns, and the thorns springing up with it, choked it.

His help he has given to Israel, his servant, so that he might keep in mind his mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever,

(As he spake unto our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.

saying, Master, Moses wrote for us, If a man's brother die, having a wife, and he die childless, that his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed for his brother.

And the [seed] that fell into the thorn plants--these are the ones who hear and [as they] go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity.

But the [seed] on the good soil--these are the ones who, [after] hearing the word, hold fast to [it] with a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

By the seed which fell along the path are meant those who hear the Message; but then comes the Devil and carries away the Message from their minds, to prevent their believing it and being saved.

By the seed which fell upon the rock are meant those who, as soon as they hear the Message, welcome it joyfully; but they have no root, and believe it only for a time, and, when the time of temptation comes, they draw back.