1 ^zThat same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in ^aparables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the ^bsun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a ^chundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ^dears,¹ let him hear.”

10 ^eThen the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, ^f“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For ^gto the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

16 But ⁱblessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people ^jlonged to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.