11. And he answered and 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, “You will listen carefully and will never understand, and you will look closely and will never perceive.
15. For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”
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, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!
18. “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower:
19. When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path.
20. And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.
21. But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while, and when affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22. And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.
23. But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”
24. He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25. But while his people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel in the midst of the wheat and went away.
26. So when the wheat sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also.
27. So the slaves of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’
28. And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
29. But he said, “No, lest when you gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it.