16. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it straight away.
17. But they don't have any roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
18. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message.
19. But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.
20. The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was planted.
21. Jesus also said:You don't light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don't you put a lamp on a lampstand?
22. There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known.
23. If you have ears, pay attention!
24. Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated—and even worse.