“ Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

“人子啊，你要向以色列家出谜语，设比喻，

“人子啊，你要向以色列家出谜语，设比喻，

“人子啊，你要向以色列家出谜语，设比喻，

“人子啊，你要向以色列人出谜语，讲比喻，

“人子啊！你要向以色列家出谜语，设比喻，

「人子啊，你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

「人子啊，你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

「人子啊，你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

「人子啊，你要向以色列人出謎語，講比喻，

“人子啊！你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

『人子啊，你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

人子歟、其設謎語、作譬詞、謂以色列家曰、

人子、當設譬示以色列族、以隱語相試、

人子、當設隱語、立譬言、示以色列族、

“ Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.

“ Son of man, tell the people of Israel a story about their kings. Let them know what will happen to them.

“ Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel.

“ Son of man, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.

“ Son of man, ask a riddle and present a parable to the house of Israel,

“ Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel,

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

“ Son of man, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

“ Son of man, offer a riddle, and tell a parable to the house of Israel.

“ Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

Then I said,“ Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me,‘ Is he not a maker of parables?’”

And Samson said to them,“ Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes,but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him,“ Put your riddle, that we may hear it.”And he said to them,“ Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife,“ Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?”And Samson’s wife wept over him and said,“ You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.” And he said to her,“ Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?”She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people.And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,“ What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them,“ If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.

I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets gave parables.

And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him,“ There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.The rich man had very many flocks and herds,but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:“‘“ You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree,‘ Reign over us.’But the olive tree said to them,‘ Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’And the trees said to the fig tree,‘ You come and reign over us.’But the fig tree said to them,‘ Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’And the trees said to the vine,‘ You come and reign over us.’But the vine said to them,‘ Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’Then all the trees said to the bramble,‘ You come and reign over us.’And the bramble said to the trees,‘ If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:“ I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:“ Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also;