“’By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
    And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive;
    For this people’s heart is waxed gross,
    And their ears are dull of hearing,
    And their eyes they have closed;
    Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes. 
    And hear with their ears,
    And understand with their heart,
    And should turn again,
    And I should heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.”

And he saith unto them, “Know ye not this parable? and how, shall ye know all the parables?  The sower soweth the word.  The seed is the word of God.  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart.  This is he that was sown by the way side.  And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.  And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of this life, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word in an honest and good heart, and understandeth it, who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

THE TARES.

Another parable set he before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:  but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.  But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ’Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?’ And he said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’  And the servants say unto him, ’Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he saith, ’Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest:  and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

THE GROWING GRAIN.

And he said, “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.  The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.”