Matthew 13:3-14

3Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said to them: ‘Listen to me! A farmer went out to plant seeds in his field.

4While he was throwing the seeds, some of them fell on the path. The birds came and they ate those seeds.

5Other seeds fell on ground which had rocks. There was not much soil in that place. The seeds quickly began to grow, because the soil was not deep.

6But when the sun rose, it burned the young plants. They soon died because they had not grown down well into the soil.

7Some other seeds fell among thorn bushes. Those bushes grew up with the young plants. They stopped the seeds from growing into strong plants.

8But some seeds fell on good soil and strong plants grew from those seeds. Some plants made 100 new seeds. Some plants made 60 new seeds and some plants made 30 new seeds.’

9Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘You have ears, so listen well to what I say!’

10Then Jesus' disciples came to him. They asked him, ‘Why do you use stories to speak to the crowd?’

11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you know what these stories mean. You understand how God rules in the lives of his people. But these other people do not understand what the stories mean.

12A person who has received some things will receive even more. He will have lots of good things. Some other people have nothing. Those people will lose even the little bit that they do have.

13The reason I use stories to talk to other people is this: These people look. But they do not really see clearly. They hear the words. But they do not really understand.

14Long ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke a message from God about those people. Now it has become true. God said: “You will listen and listen. But you will not understand. You will look and look. But you will not see anything.