¹⁰ Then the disciples came and said unto him, Why dost thou speak unto them in parables?

¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given. ¹² For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have in abundance; but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. ¹³ Therefore, I speak to them in parables because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive; ¹⁵ for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted, and I should heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those that were close to him with the twelve asked of him the parable. ¹¹ And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto those that are without, all these things are done in parables, ¹² that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

⁹ And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? ¹⁰ And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand.