"The sowersowsthe word.
How blessedwill you be, you who sowbesideallwaters,Who letout freelythe oxand the donkey.
"When anyonehearsthe wordof the kingdomand does not understandit, the evil[one] comesand snatches awaywhathas been sownin his heart.Thisis the one on whom seed was sownbesidethe road.
And He spokemany thingsto them in parables,saying,"Behold,the sowerwentout to sow;
And He said,"The one who sowsthe goodseedis the Sonof Man,
And manywere gathered together,sothat there was no longerroom,not evennearthe door;and He was speakingthe wordto them.
And He saidto them, "Do you not understandthisparable?Howwill you understandallthe parables?
"Theseare the ones whoare besidethe roadwherethe wordis sown;and whenthey hear,immediatelySatancomesand takes awaythe wordwhich has been sownin them.
"Listen[to this]! Behold,the sowerwentout to sow;
justas they were handed downto us by thosewho from the beginningwere eyewitnessesand servantsof the word,
"Nowthe parableis this:the seedis the wordof God.
Therefore,thosewho had been scatteredwent aboutpreachingthe word.
