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

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

“ 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,“ Lord and King, people are talking about me. They are saying,‘ Isn’t he just telling stories?’ ”

“ Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to the companions.“ The feast will last for seven days. Give me the answer to the riddle before the feast ends. If you do, I’ll give you 30 linen shirts. I’ll also give you 30 sets of clothes.But suppose you can’t give me the answer. Then you must give me 30 linen shirts. You must also give me 30 sets of clothes.”“ Tell us your riddle,” they said.“ Let’s hear it.”Samson replied,“ Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they couldn’t give him the answer.On the fourth day they spoke to Samson’s wife.“ Get your husband to explain the riddle for us,” they said.“ If you don’t, we’ll burn you to death. We’ll burn up everyone in your family. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him. She sobbed,“ You hate me! You don’t really love me. You have given my people a riddle. But you haven’t told me the answer.”“ I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied.“ So why should I explain it to you?”She cried during the whole seven days the feast was going on. So on the seventh day he finally told her the answer to the riddle. That’s because she kept on asking him to tell her. Then she explained the riddle to her people.Before sunset on the seventh day of the feast the men of the town spoke to Samson. They said,“ What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them,“ You have plowed with my young cow. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have known the answer to my riddle.”Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. He went down to Ashkelon. He struck down 30 of their men. He took everything they had with them. And he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Samson was very angry as he returned to his father’s home.

I spoke to the prophets. They saw many visions. I gave you warnings through them.”

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. When Nathan came to him, he said,“ Two men lived in the same town. One was rich. The other was poor.The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle.But all the poor man had was one little female lamb. He had bought it. He raised it. It grew up with him and his children. It shared his food. It drank from his cup. It even slept in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him.“ One day a traveler came to the rich man. The rich man wanted to prepare a meal for him. But he didn’t want to kill one of his own sheep or cattle. Instead, he took the little female lamb that belonged to the poor man. Then the rich man cooked it for the traveler who had come to him.”

Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say,“ They look, but they don’t really see. They listen, but they don’t really hear or understand.In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true. He said,“‘ You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.

One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to an olive tree,‘ Be our king.’“ But the olive tree answered,‘ Should I give up my olive oil? It’s used to honor gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’“ Next, the trees said to a fig tree,‘ Come and be our king.’“ But the fig tree replied,‘ Should I give up my fruit? It’s so good and sweet. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’“ Then the trees said to a vine,‘ Come and be our king.’“ But the vine answered,‘ Should I give up my wine? It cheers up gods and people alike. Should I give that up just to rule over the trees?’“ Finally, all the trees spoke to a bush that had thorns. They said,‘ Come and be our king.’“ The bush asked the trees,‘ Do you really want to anoint me as king over you? If you do, come and rest in my shade. But if you don’t, I will destroy you! Fire will come out of me and burn up the cedar trees of Lebanon!’

Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand.He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.

So the words spoken by the prophet came true. He had said,“ I will open my mouth and tell stories. I will speak about things that were hidden since the world was made.”( Psalm 78:2)

Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.

Your people refuse to obey me. So tell them a story. Say to them,‘ The Lord and King told me,“‘ “Put a cooking pot on the fire. Pour water into it.