Matthew:13:1-23

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* And that [same ] day Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea . * And great crowds were gathered together to him , so that going on board ship himself he sat down , and the whole crowd stood on the shore . * And he spoke to them many things in parables , saying , Behold , the sower went out to sow : * and as he sowed , some [grains ] fell along the way , and the birds came and devoured them ; * and others fell upon the rocky places where they had not much earth , and immediately they sprang up out of [the ground ] because of not having [any ] depth of earth , * but when the sun rose they were burned up , and because of not having [any ] root were dried up ; * and others fell upon the thorns , and the thorns grew up and choked them ; * and others fell upon the good ground , and produced fruit , one a hundred , one sixty , and one thirty . * He that has ears , let him hear . * And the disciples came up and said to him , Why speakest thou to them in parables ? * And he answering said to them , Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens , but to them it is not given ; * for whoever has , to him shall be given , and he shall be caused to be in abundance ; but he who has not , even what he has shall be taken away from him . * For this cause I speak to them in parables , because seeing they do not see , and hearing they do not hear nor understand ; * and in them is filled up the prophecy of Esaias , which says , Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand , and beholding ye shall behold and not see ; * for the heart of this people has grown fat , and they have heard heavily with their ears , and they have closed their eyes as asleep , lest they should see with the eyes , and hear with the ears , and understand with the heart , and should be converted , and I should heal them . * But blessed are your eyes because they see , and your ears because they hear ; * for verily I say unto you , that many prophets and righteous [men ] have desired to see the things which ye behold and did not see [them ], and to hear the things which ye hear and did not hear [them ]. * Ye , therefore , hear the parable of the sower . * From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand [it ], the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart : this is he that is sown by the wayside . * But he that is sown on the rocky places -- this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy , * but has no root in himself , but is for a time only ; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word , he is immediately offended . * And he that is sown among the thorns -- this is he who hears the word , and the anxious care of this life , and the deceit of riches choke the word , and he becomes unfruitful . * But he that is sown upon the good ground -- this is he who hears and understands the word , who bears fruit also , and produces , one a hundred , one sixty , and one thirty .

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