Matthew 13:1-15
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.(A) 2 Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.(B)
3 Then He told them many things in parables,(C) saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. 7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.(D) 9 Anyone who has ears[a] should listen!”(E)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 Then the disciples(F) came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”(G)
11 He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,(H) but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.(I) 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,(J) and hearing they do not listen or understand.(K) 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.(L)
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them.(M)[b]
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:9 Other mss add to hear
- Matthew 13:15 Is 6:9-10
Luke 8:4-10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:(A) 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown.”(B) As He said this, He called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”(C)
Why Jesus Used Parables
9 Then His disciples asked Him, “What does this parable mean?”(D) 10 So He said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you(E) to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that
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