Matthew 13:3-23

3And He spoke many things to them in 1parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7Others fell 2among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a 3hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 94He who has ears, 5let him hear.”

10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 116Jesus answered them, “7To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 128For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while 9seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 1410In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘1112You will keep on hearing, 13but will not understand; 14You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;1515For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’ 1616But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17For truly I say to you that 17many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18“18Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears 19the 20word of the kingdom and does not understand it, 21the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the 22word, immediately he 2324falls away. 22And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of 25the 26world and the 27deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some 28a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”