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"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,'1YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
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2FOR THE HEART OF THISPEOPLE HAS BECOMEDULL,WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELYHEAR,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.'
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"3But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
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"For truly I say to you that 4manyprophets and righteousmendesired to seewhat you see, and did not see it, and to hearwhat you hear, and did not hear it.
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"When anyonehears6the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, 7the evil one comes and snatchesawaywhat has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sownbeside the road.
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"The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediatelyreceives it with joy;
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yet he hasno firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when afflictionorpersecutionarisesbecause of the word, immediately he 8fallsaway.
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"And the one on whom seed was sownamong the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of 9the world and the 10deceitfulness of wealthchoke the word, and it becomesunfruitful.
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"And the one on whom seed was sown on the goodsoil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; whoindeedbearsfruit and bringsforth, some11a hundredfold, somesixty, and somethirty."
Tares among Wheat
24 Jesus presentedanotherparable to them, saying, "12The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowedgoodseed in his field.