Matthew 13:5-15

5 Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep.
6 But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.
7 Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty."
9 And Jesus concluded, "Listen, then, if you have ears!"
10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"
11 Jesus answered, "The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has. 1
13 The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand.
14 So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: 2 "This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see,
15 because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.'

Cross References 2

  • 1. 13.12Matthew 25.29;Mark 4.25;Luke 8.18; 19.26.
  • 2. 13.14, 15Isaiah 6.9, 10 (LXX).
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.