Matthew 13:10-17

Living Bible

¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you always use these hard-to-understand illustrations?”^[a]

¹¹ Then he explained to them that only they were permitted to understand about the Kingdom of Heaven, and others were not.

^12-13 “For to him who has will more be given,” he told them, “and he will have great plenty; but from him who has not, even the little he has will be taken away. That is why I use these illustrations, so people will hear and see but not understand.^[b]

¹⁴ “This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah:

‘They hear, but don’t understand; they look, but don’t see! ¹⁵ For their hearts are fat and heavy, and their ears are dull, and they have closed their eyes in sleep, ¹⁶ so they won’t see and hear and understand and turn to God again, and let me heal them.’