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

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

“ 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,“ Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me,‘ Isn’t he just telling parables?’”

“ Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them.“ If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.”“ Tell us your riddle,” they said.“ Let’s hear it.”He replied,“ Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” For three days they could not give the answer.On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife,“ Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing,“ You hate me! You don’t really love me. You’ve 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 the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,“ What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them,“ If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.”Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home.

I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them.”

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said,“ There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.“ Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

This is why I speak to them in parables:“ Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘ You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree,‘ Be our king.’“ But the olive tree answered,‘ Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’“ Next, the trees said to the fig tree,‘ Come and be our king.’“ But the fig tree replied,‘ Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’“ Then the trees said to the vine,‘ Come and be our king.’“ But the vine answered,‘ Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’“ Finally all the trees said to the thornbush,‘ Come and be our king.’“ The thornbush said to the trees,‘ If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:“ I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them:‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says:“‘ Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it.