13That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. ²Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it. All the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things by using stories.

He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. ⁹Those who have ears should listen.”

¹⁰The disciples came to him. They asked, “Why do you use stories when you speak to the people?”

¹¹He replied, “You have been given the chance to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders. ¹²Everyone who has that kind of knowledge will be given more. In fact, they will have very much. If anyone doesn’t have that kind of knowledge, even what little he has will be taken away from him. ¹³Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say,

“They look, but they don’t really see.

They listen, but they don’t really hear or understand.

¹⁴“In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true. He said,

“ ‘You will hear but never understand.

You will see but never know what you are seeing.

¹⁵The hearts of these people have become stubborn.

They can barely hear with their ears.

They have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes.

They might hear with their ears.

They might understand with their hearts.

They might turn to the Lord, and then he would heal them.’

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