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and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities--Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,
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and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.
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And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:
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"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.
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Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
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And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
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But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
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Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"
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And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.'
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"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
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Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.