Matthew 13:1–23

The Parable of the Sower

13On that day Jesus went out of the house and^* was sitting by the sea.^{a 2}And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. ³And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, ⁴and while he was sowing, some seed^b fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and^* devoured it. ⁵And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. ⁶But when^* the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. ⁷And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. ⁸But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,^c this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. ⁹The one who has ears, let him hear!”

The Reason for the Parables

¹⁰And the disciples came up and^* said to him, “Why^d do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered and^* said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹²For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, ¹⁴and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,

“You will listen carefully^e and will never understand,

and you will look closely^f and will never perceive.

¹⁵For the heart of this people has become dull,

and with their ears they hear with difficulty,

and they have shut their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.”^g

¹⁶But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,^* and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!^*

The Parable of the Sower Interpreted

¹⁸“You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When^* anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,^* the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. ²⁰And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,^h and when^* affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²²And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this worldⁱ and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. ²³But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,^* who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”