The Parable of the Sower

Saint Matthew - Chapter 13

[1] In illo die exiens Jesus de domo, sedebat secus mare.
The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.

[2] Et congregatae sunt ad eum turbae multae, ita ut naviculam ascendens sederet : et omnis turba stabat in littore,
And great multitudes were gathered unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.

The sower went forth to sow. J-J Tissot

[3] et locutus est eis multa in parabolis, dicens : Ecce exiit qui seminat, seminare.
And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.

[4] Et dum seminat, quaedam ceciderunt secus viam, et venerunt volucres caeli, et comederunt ea.
And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.

[5] Alia autem ceciderunt in petrosa, ubi non habebant terram multam : et continuo exorta sunt, quia non habebant altitudinem terrae :
And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.

[6] sole autem orto aestuaverunt; et quia non habebant radicem, aruerunt.
And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.

[7] Alia autem ceciderunt in spinas : et creverunt spinae, et suffocaverunt ea.
And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.

[8] Alia autem ceciderunt in terram bonam : et dabant fructum, aliud centesimum, aliud sexagesimum, aliud trigesimum.
And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.

[9] Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

[10] Et accedentes discipuli dixerunt ei : Quare in parabolis loqueris eis?
And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?

[11] Qui respondens, ait illis : Quia vobis datum est nosse mysteria regni caelorum : illis autem non est datum.
Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given.

[12] Qui enim habet, dabitur ei, et abundabit : qui autem non habet, et quod habet auferetur ab eo.
For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but he that hath not, from him shall be taken away that also which he hath.

[13] Ideo in parabolis loquor eis : quia videntes non vident, et audientes non audiunt, neque intelligunt.
Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

[14] Et adimpletur in eis prophetia Isaiae, dicentis : Auditu audietis, et non intelligetis : et videntes videbitis, et non videbitis.
And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.

[15] Incrassatum est enim cor populi hujus, et auribus graviter audierunt, et oculos suos clauserunt : nequando videant oculis, et auribus audiant, et corde intelligant, et convertantur, et sanem eos.
For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

[16] Vestri autem beati oculi quia vident, et aures vestrae quia audiunt.
But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.

[17] Amen quippe dico vobis, quia multi prophetae et justi cupierunt videre quae videtis, et non viderunt : et audire quae auditis, et non audierunt.
For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them.

[18] Vos ergo audite parabolam seminantis.
Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.

[19] Omnis qui audit verbum regni, et non intelligit, venit malus, et rapit quod seminatum est in corde ejus : hic est qui secus viam seminatus est.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he that received the seed by the way side.

[20] Qui autem super petrosa seminatus est, hic est qui verbum audit, et continuo cum gaudio accipit illud :
And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.

[21] non habet autem in se radicem, sed est temporalis : facta autem tribulatione et persecutione propter verbum, continuo scandalizatur.
Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when there ariseth tribulation and persecution because of the word, he is presently scandalized.

[22] Qui autem seminatus est in spinis, hic est qui verbum audit, et sollicitudo saeculi istius, et fallacia divitiarum suffocat verbum, et sine fructu efficitur.
And he that received the seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless.

[23] Qui vero in terram bonam seminatus est, hic est qui audit verbum, et intelligit, et fructum affert, et facit aliud quidem centesimum, aliud autem sexagesimum, aliud vero trigesimum.
But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam