10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(A) has been given to you,(B) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(C) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(D)

14 In them is fulfilled(E) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a](F)

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(G) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(H) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)

The Purpose of the Parables(A)

10 Then the disciples came and asked Jesus,[a] “Why do you speak to people[b] in parables?”

11 He answered them, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from[c] heaven, but it hasn’t been given to them, 12 because to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn’t have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That’s why I speak to them in parables, because

‘they look but don’t see,
    and they listen but don’t hear or understand.’

14 “With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says:

‘You will listen and listen but never understand.
    You will look and look but never comprehend,
15 for this people’s heart has become dull,
    and their ears are hard of hearing.[d]
They have shut their eyes
    so that they might not see with their eyes,
        and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn,
    and I would heal them.’[e]

16 “How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear! 17 I tell all of you[f] with certainty, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:10 Lit. him
  2. Matthew 13:10 Lit. to them
  3. Matthew 13:11 Lit. of
  4. Matthew 13:15 Lit. they hear with ears of heaviness
  5. Matthew 13:15 Cf. Isa 6:9-10
  6. Matthew 13:17 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.