Matthew
Chapter 13: 1-23
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such
large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the
people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying:
"A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some
fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky
places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was
shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and
choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a
crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him
hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in
parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has
been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he
will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This
is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In
them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.' 16But blessed are your eyes
because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth,
many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear
what you hear but did not hear it.
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When
anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The
one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at
once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short
time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The
one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but
the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But
the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and
understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown."
