The Reason for the Parables

¹⁰ And the disciples came up and^[a] said to him, “Why^[b] do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ And he answered and^[c] said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, ¹⁴ and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,

¹⁶ But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,^[g] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!^[h]