Luke 8:1-12 ▼

1 After this Jesus went about, preaching to every city and village, proclaiming the reign of the Messias, attended by his twelve apostles,

2 and several women, who had been delivered from evil spirits and cured of their diseases: particularly Mary Magdalene, who had been dispossess'd of seven demons:

3 Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's high-steward: Susanna, and several others, who assisted him with their fortunes.

4 A vast number of people being assembled, and crowding to him from all quarters, he thus address'd himself to them by way of parable.

5 a husbandman went out to sow his corn: and as he was sowing, some fell upon the beaten road, which was crush'd under foot, or devoured by the birds.

6 some fell upon very stony ground, which no sooner sprung up, but it wither'd away, for want of moisture:

7 some fell among thorns; but the thorns over-grew it, and starv'd it.

8 but some of the corn fell into good soil, and grew up, yielding a hundred grains for one, then raising his voice he concluded with these words, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

9 But his disciples having ask'd him the meaning of this parable;

10 he answered, the secret circumstances of the divine dispensation may be clearly revealed to you, but to others only in parables, so that they don't observe what they see, nor comprehend what they hear.

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

12 by the beaten road is meant, they who only hear: the word, by the lurking wiles of the devil, being hinder'd from taking root in their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.