Matthew:13:1-23

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* On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea . * And great crowds were gathered together to Him , so that He got into the boat and sat ; and the crowd stood on the shore . * And He spoke to them many things in parables , saying : "Behold , a sower went out to sow . * And as he sowed , some seed fell alongside the road ; and the birds came and devoured them . * But others fell on the stony ground , where it did not have much earth ; and immediately it sprang up , because it had no depth of earth . * But when the sun rose , it was scorched , and because it had no root , it withered away . * But others fell among thorns , and the thorns sprang up and choked them out . * But others fell on good ground and it was yielding fruit : some a hundred [fold ], some sixty , some thirty . * He who has ears to hear , let him hear !" * And the disciples approached and said to Him , "Why do You speak to them in parables ?" * He answered and said to them , "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven , but to them it has not been given . * For whoever has , to him more shall be given , and he shall be in abundance ; but whoever does not have , even what he has shall be taken away from him . * Therefore I speak to them in parables , because seeing they do not see , and hearing they do not hear , nor do they understand . * And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah , which says : 'Hearing you shall hear and by no means understand , and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive . * For the heart of this people has become dull , and their ears are hard of hearing , and their eyes have closed , lest they should see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , lest they should understand with their hearts and turn back , that I should heal them .' * "But blessed are your eyes because they see , and your ears , because they hear . * For assuredly I say to you , that many prophets and righteous [men ] desired to see what you see , and they did not see , and to hear what you hear , and they did not hear ." * "Therefore hear the parable of the sower : * When anyone hears the word of the kingdom , and does not understand , then the evil [one ] comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart . This is the [seed ] being sown beside the road . * But the [seed ] sown on stony ground , is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy ; * yet he has no root in himself , but is short-lived . For when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word , immediately he falls away . * But the [seed ] sown in the thorns is he who hears the word , and the anxiety of this age , and the deceitfulness of riches chokes out the word , and it becomes fruitless . * But the [seed ] sown on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it , who indeed bears fruit and produces : some a hundred [fold ], some sixty , some thirty ."

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