Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is that which was sown by the wayside.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

But when the grain had sprouted and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared.

And He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

And He said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear.

Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, that they should not believe and be saved.

Therefore we need to more abundantly heed the things we have heard, so that they do not slip our minds.

For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets of what sort he was.

You have lightly tossed aside all those who stray from Your Statutes, for their deception is treachery.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.