10 And the disciplescame and said to Him, "Why* do You speak to them in parables?"
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Jesus answered them, "1To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
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"2For whoeverhas, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, evenwhat he has shall be takenaway from him.
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"Therefore* I speak to them in parables; because while 3seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
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"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,'4YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
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5FOR 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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"6But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
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"For truly I say to you that 7manyprophets 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 anyonehears9the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, 10the 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 11fallsaway.
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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 12the world and the 13deceitfulness 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, some14a hundredfold, somesixty, and somethirty."