Matthew 13:1-21 ▼

1 Now on the same day, Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the sea-side:

2 and many people were gathered together to bear Him, so that He went into a ship and sat down, and all the multitude stood upon the shore; and He spake to them many things in parables,

3 saying, "Behold a sower went out to sow;

4 and as he was sowing, some seeds fell by the way- side, and the birds came and ate them up:

5 some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and they soon sprung up indeed, because they had no depth of earth;

6 but when the sun rose, they were burnt up, and withered; because they had no root:

7 and others fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:

8 but others fell on good ground, and yielded fruit, some an hundred- fold, some sixty, and some thirty.

9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

10 And the disciples came to Him and said, Why dost thou speak to them in parables?

11 And He answered them, saying, Because it is granted unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not granted:

12 for whosoever really hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundantly; but whosoever thus hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken away from him:

13 for this reason I speak to them in parables; because though they see, they will not see; and though they hear, they will not hear, nor understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, Ye shall hear by the hearing of the ear, and not understand; and in seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: for the heart of this people is grown stupid,

15 and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; least they should see at all with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear:

17 for indeed I tell you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear what ye hear, and have not heard them.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the gospel -kingdom,

19 and regardeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he who received the seed as by the way- side.

20 And he who received the seed as upon stony grounds, is one that heareth the word and immediately receiveth it with joy:

21 yet hath he no root in himself, and therefore is but for a short season; and when affliction cometh, or persecution on account of the word, he is as soon disgusted.