The Newe Testament (Tyndale, 1526)

The 13th Chapter.

The same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside, and many people gathered to him, so many that he went and sat in a ship, and all the people stood on the shore. And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it up. Some fell upon stony ground where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth; and when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting, it withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns arose and choked it. Part fell on good ground and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some fiftyfold, some thirtyfold. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

$\P$ And his disciples came and said to him: "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them: "It is given to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whoever has, to him shall it be given, and he shall have abundance. But whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that same thing which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables. For though they see, they do not see; and hearing, they do not hear, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which prophecy says: 'With your ears you shall hear and shall not understand, and with your eyes you shall see and shall not perceive.' For

this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears were dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should turn, so that I might heal them."

$\P$ "But blessed are your eyes, for {they} see, and your ears, for they hear. Verily I say to you, that many prophets and perfect men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them. Hear therefore the parable of the sower. When a man hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, there comes the evil man and catches away that which was sown in his heart. And this is he who received the seed by the wayside.

But he who received the seed in the stony ground is he who hears the word of God and immediately receives it with joy, yet has no root in himself. And therefore he lasts but a season; for as soon as tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls. He who received the seed among thorns is he who hears the word of God, but the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and so he is made unfruitful. He who received the seed in the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who also bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some fiftyfold, and some thirtyfold."

$\P$ Another parable he put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But