Matthew 13:10-17

New International Version

¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven^(A) has been given to you,^(B) but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^(C) ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.^(D)

¹⁴In them is fulfilled^(E) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]^(F)

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.^(G) ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see^(H) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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Footnotes

Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)

Mark 4:10-12

New International Version

¹⁰When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^(A) has been given to you. But to those on the outside^(B) everything is said in parables ¹²so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[a]”^(C)

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