Matthew 13:10-17 - The Reason For The Parables

¹⁰ And the disciples having come, they said to him, Why do thou speak to them in parables?

¹¹ And having answered, he said to them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those men it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever has not, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Because of this I speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing ye will hear, and will, no, not understand, and seeing ye will see, and will, no, not perceive. ¹⁵ For this people's heart became fat, and their ears hear heavily, and their eyes are shut, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn, and I will heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men longed to see the things that ye see, and did not see them, and to hear the things that ye hear, and did not hear them.

¹⁰ And when he became alone, those around him, with the twelve, asked him the parable. ¹¹ And he said to them, To you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, all things occur in parables. ¹² So that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand, lest they should turn, and the sins would be forgiven them.

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