Matthew 13:4-23

4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

5Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep.

6But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered.

7Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them.

8But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

9The one who has ears had better listen!”

10Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

11He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.

12For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

13For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.

14And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend.

15For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

16“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.

17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18“So listen to the parable of the sower:

19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.

20The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

21But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

22The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.

23But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”