AUV(i)
2 Great crowds gathered around Him so that He went and sat down in a boat [just off shore], while the crowd stood on the beach.
3 And He spoke many things to them in parables [i.e., brief stories to illustrate His teaching], saying, “Once a farmer went out [to his field] to plant grain.
4 And some of the seed he sowed [i.e., scattering it by hand] landed along the side of the road and birds came and ate it.
5 And other seed fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil and immediately it sprouted up because the soil was so shallow.
6 But when the sun came up these tender sprouts were scorched and, since they had such tiny roots, they [quickly] withered away.
7 And other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and [eventually] choked out the tender sprouts.
8 And [still] other seed fell onto fertile soil, where some of it produced a crop of one hundred, some sixty and some thirty times [as much as was planted].
9 The person who has ears to hear with ought to listen [to this] carefully.”