Luke 8:3-18

³Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's manager; Susanna; and many others, who, out of their possessions, provided for their needs.

⁴While a large crowd of people was gathering, and people were coming to him from town after town, he told a parable:

⁵“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell beside the road and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

⁶Some fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

⁷Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up together with the seed and choked it.

⁸But some fell on good soil and produced a crop that was a hundred times greater.” After Jesus had said these things, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

¹⁰He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but for others I speak in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

¹¹Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

¹²The ones along the path are those who have heard, but then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved.

¹³The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But they have no root; they believe for a while, and in a time of testing they fall away.

¹⁴The seeds that fell among the thorns are people who hear the word, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.

¹⁵But the seed that fell on the good soil, these are the ones who, hearing the word with an honest and good heart, hold it securely and bear fruit with patient endurance.

¹⁶No one lights a lamp and covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed. Rather, he puts it on a lampstand so that everyone who enters may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come into the light.

¹⁸So listen carefully, for to the one who has, more will be given to him, but the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”