Matthew 13:1-14 ▼

1 That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee.

2 The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore.

3 Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things. He said, |Listen! A farmer went to plant seed.

4 Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them.

5 Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep.

6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren't deep enough.

7 Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them.

8 But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.

9 Let the person who has ears listen!|

10 The disciples asked him, |Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?|

11 Jesus answered, |Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd.

12 Those who understand [these mysteries] will be given [more knowledge], and they will excel [in understanding them]. However, some people don't understand [these mysteries]. Even what they understand will be taken away from them.

13 This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they're blind. They hear, but they don't listen. They don't even try to understand.

14 So they make Isaiah's prophecy come true: 'You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend.