Book of Common Prayer

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard of it, have not ceased praying for you, and asking that you be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, ¹⁰ so that you may walk worthy of the Lord in all things that please him, being fruitful in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ strengthened with all might through his glorious power to have all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, ¹² and giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through his blood; that is to say, the forgiveness of sins.

The parables of the seed, of the tares, of the mustard seed, of the leaven, of the treasure hid in the field, of the pearls, and of the net.

13 The same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea side. ² And crowds of people gathered to him, so greatly that he went and sat in a boat, and all the people stood on the shore. ³ And he spoke many things to them in similitudes, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it up. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of earth; ⁶ and when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting withered away. ⁷ Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it. ⁸ But part fell in good ground and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ⁹ Whosoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

¹⁰ And the disciples came and asked him, Why do you speak to them in parables? ¹¹ He answered and said to them, It is given to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. ¹² For whosoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance. But whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even what he has. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in similitudes. For though they see, they see not. And hearing, they hear not, neither understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which prophecy says: With the ears you will hear, but will not understand, and with the eyes you will see, and will not perceive. ¹⁵ For the hearts of this people have grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, and should turn, so that I might heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.