8 4 People were now gathering in large numbers, and as they made their way to him from one town after another, he said in a parable: 8 5 'A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the footpath, where it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 8 6 Some seed fell on rock and, after coming up, withered for lack of moisture. 8 7 Some seed fell in among thistles, and the thistles grew up with it and choked it. 8 8 And some of the seed fell into good soil, and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.' As he said this he called out, 'If you have ears to hear, then hear.'