Matthew 13:1-23 ▼

1 On that day Jesus, having gone out of the house, was sitting by the seaside.

2 And there were gathered to Him great multitudes; so that He, having entered into a boat, sat down, and all the multitudes were standing on the beach.

3 And He spake to them many things in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow.

4 And, in his sowing, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds, coming, devoured them.

5 And others fell on the rocky places, where they had not much earth; and straightway they sprang up, because they had not depth of earth.

6 And, the sun having risen, they were scorched; and, because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 And others fell on the good ground, and were yielding fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

9 He that has ears let him hear."

10 And the disciples, having come near, said to Him, "Wherefore dost Thou speak to them in parables?"

11 And He, answering, said to them, "Because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be made to abound; but whosoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

13 On this account, I speak to them in parables; because, seeing, they see not; and, hearing, they hear not, nor understand.

14 And to them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, 'With hearing ye will hear, and will not understand; and, seeing, ye will see, and will not perceive;

15 for the heart of this people was made gross, and with their ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I should heal them.'

16 But happy are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

17 For verily I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what ye are seeing, and did not see them; and to hear what ye are hearing, and did not hear them .

18 Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the sower.

19 When any one hears the word of the Kingdom, and understands it not, the evil one comes, and snatches away what has been sown in his heart: this is he that was sown by the wayside.

20 And he that was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and straightway with joy receives it;

21 yet he has not root in himself, but is only temporary; and, when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, straightway he stumbles.

22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that hears the word; and the anxiety of the age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23 But he that was sown on the good ground, this is he that hears the word and understands it ; who, indeed, bears fruit, and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."