4:1 Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while 1 the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, 2 and in his teaching said to them: 4:3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 3 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed 4 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground 5 where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 4:6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, 7 it withered.