Matthew 13:14-21

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹⁴Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.^(A)
¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them.^(B)^[a]

¹⁶“But your eyes are blessed^(C) because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!^(D) ¹⁷For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.^(E)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸“You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:^(F) ¹⁹When anyone hears the word^[b] about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.^(G) ²⁰And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.^(H) ²¹Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution^(I) comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles.