Behold a sower going forth

To scatter o'er his field,

The seed that in the harvest time

A rich return will yield.

And as he sow'd some precious seeds,

Were by the way-side thrown;

The fowls of heaven descried them there,

And soon the seed were gone.

And other seeds fell from his hand

On stony places round,

And forthwith they sprung up, because

They had no depth of ground.

But when the sun came up, and warm

Sent forth his beaming ray,

Because they had no root in earth,

They wither'd all away.

Among the thorns some others fell,

Of these there was no hope;

The seeds were choked, they droop'd and died,

Soon as the thorns came up.

But others fell into good ground,

And yielded, as we're told,

Some of them thirty, sixty some,

And some an hundred fold.

The seed that by the wayside fell,

Is wisdom in the heart

Of him who heareth words of truth,

But understandeth not.

And he who is the stony place,

Is one who hears the word,

Anon with joy receiveth it,

And follows after good.

But tribulation soon assails,

And persecutions rise,

He then forgets the word of truth,

And all his goodness dies.

The thorny place is one who hears,

And does the truth receive;

But finds that cares of life and wealth,

His mind and heart deceive.

The good and fertile ground is he

Who hears and understands;

And shows his, life obedient to

All that the truth commands.