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for whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be caused to be in abundance; but he who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
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For this cause I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor understand;
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and in them is filled up the prophecy of Esaias, which says, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and beholding ye shall behold and not see;
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for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they have heard heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes as asleep, lest they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
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But blessed are *your* eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear;
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for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see the things which ye behold and did not see [them], and to hear the things which ye hear and did not hear [them].
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*Ye*, therefore, hear the parable of the sower.
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From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand [it], the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart: this is he that is sown by the wayside.
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But he that is sown on the rocky places -- this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
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but has no root in himself, but is for a time only; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word, he is immediately offended.
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And he that is sown among the thorns -- this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.