7
And some seeds went among thorns, and the thorns came up and they had no room for growth:
8
And some, falling on good earth, gave fruit, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times as much.
9
He who has ears, let him give ear.
10
And the disciples came and said to him, Why do you say things to them in the form of stories?
11
And he said to them in answer, To you is given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12
Because whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have more; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13
For this reason I put things into the form of stories; because they see without seeing, and give ear without hearing, and the sense is not clear to them.
14
And for them the words of Isaiah have come true, Though you give ear, you will not get knowledge; and seeing, you will see, but the sense will not be clear to you:
15
For the heart of this people has become fat and their ears are slow in hearing and their eyes are shut; for fear that they might see with their eyes and give hearing with their ears and become wise in their hearts and be turned again to me, so that I might make them well.
16
But a blessing be on your eyes, because they see; and on your ears, because they are open.
17
For truly, I say to you that prophets and upright men had a desire to see the things which you see, and saw them not; and to have knowledge of the words which have come to your ears, and they had it not.