3 He spoke at length to them in illustrations. "A sower," he said, "went out to sow.

4 And as he was sowing some seeds fell at the roadside and the birds came and ate them up.

5 Others fell on rocky places where they had not much soil, and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil.

6 But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because they had no roots they withered.

7 Others fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them.

8 Others fell on good ground and made a yield, some of a hundred fold, some of sixty fold, some of thirty fold.

9 He who has ears, let him hear."