Matthew 13:6-16

6 but ¹when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, ²they withered away.

7 Other seeds fell among ³thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some ⁴a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 ⁵He who has ears,^[a] let him hear."

The Purpose of the Parables

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

11 And he answered them, ⁶"To you it has been given to know ⁷the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 ⁸For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, ⁹even what he has will be taken away.

13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ¹⁰seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, ¹¹nor do they understand.

14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ¹²"'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.

15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears ¹³they can barely hear, and ¹⁴their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and ¹⁵understand with their heart and ¹⁶turn, and I would heal them.'

16 But ¹⁷blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.