John 12:40
New Living Translation
40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them.”[a]
Isaiah 6:10
New Living Translation
10 Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to me for healing.”[a]
Footnotes
- 6:9-10 Greek version reads And he said, “Go and say to this people, / ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. / When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.’ / For the hearts of these people are hardened, / and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— / so their eyes cannot see, / and their ears cannot hear, / and their hearts cannot understand, / and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.” Compare Matt 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:26-27.
Matthew 13:13-15
New Living Translation
13 That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’[a]
Footnotes
- 13:14-15 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
Luke 8:10
New Living Translation
10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]
Mark 4:12
New Living Translation
12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they see what I do,
they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
and be forgiven.’[a]”
Footnotes
- 4:12 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
Isaiah 57:18-19
New Living Translation
18 I have seen what they do,
but I will heal them anyway!
I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn,
19 bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”
says the Lord, who heals them.
Isaiah 29:10
New Living Translation
10 For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep.
He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.
Hosea 14:4
New Living Translation
4 The Lord says,
“Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
my love will know no bounds,
for my anger will be gone forever.
Hosea 6:1
New Living Translation
A Call to Repentance
6 “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.
Psalm 147:3
New Living Translation
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
Psalm 41:4
New Living Translation
4 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
Psalm 6:2
New Living Translation
2 Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
Romans 11:7-11
New Living Translation
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8 As the Scriptures say,
“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.”[a]
9 Likewise, David said,
“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever.”[b]
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 11:8 Isa 29:10; Deut 29:4.
- 11:9-10 Ps 69:22-23 (Greek version).
Romans 9:18
New Living Translation
18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
Read full chapter
Acts 28:26
New Living Translation
26 ‘Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
Acts 3:19
New Living Translation
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Read full chapter
John 9:39
New Living Translation
39 Then Jesus told him,[a] “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see[b] that they are blind.”
Read full chapter
Luke 4:18
New Living Translation
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
Mark 8:17-18
New Living Translation
17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all?
Read full chapter
Ezekiel 12:2
New Living Translation
2 “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.
Read full chapter
Jeremiah 3:22
New Living Translation
22 “My wayward children,” says the Lord,
“come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”
“Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,
“for you are the Lord our God.
Joshua 11:20
New Living Translation
20 For the Lord hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Read full chapter
Deuteronomy 29:4
New Living Translation
4 But to this day the Lord has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear!
Read full chapter
Isaiah 42:19-20
New Living Translation
19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger?
Who is as blind as my chosen people,
the servant of the Lord?
20 You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don’t really listen.”
James 5:19-20
New Living Translation
Restore Wandering Believers
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
Read full chapterHoly Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.