Matthew 13:3-9 (NIV) Then
he told them many things in parables, saying: "A
farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the
seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate
it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not
have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil
was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants
were scorched, and they withered because they had
no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew
up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on
good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him
hear."