Then he told them many things using stories. He said,“ A farmer went out to plant his seed.

他用比喻对他们讲许多道理，说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种；

他用比喻对他们讲了许多话。他说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种。

他用比喻对他们讲了许多话。他说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种。

祂用比喻给他们讲许多道理，说：“有一个农夫出去撒种。

他用比喻对众人讲了许多事，说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种。

耶稣用比喻对他们讲了很多事。他说：“看哪，有一个撒种的出去撒种。

他用比喻對他們講許多道理，說：「有一個撒種的出去撒種；

他用比喻對他們講了許多話。他說：「有一個撒種的出去撒種。

他用比喻對他們講了許多話。他說：「有一個撒種的出去撒種。

祂用比喻向他們講許多道理，說：「有一個農夫出去撒種。

他用比喻對眾人講了許多事，說：“有一個撒種的出去撒種。

他就用比喻對他們講許多道理，說：『看哪，有一個撒種的出去撒種。

耶穌用比喻對他們講了很多事。他說：「看哪，有一個撒種的出去撒種。

乃多端設喻語之、曰、有播種者、出而播種、

乃多端設譬曰、有播種者出而播種、

耶穌多端設喻語之曰、有播種者出而播種、

乃多方設喻而訓之曰：『有農人出而播種、

Then he told them many things in parables, saying:“ A farmer went out to sow his seed.

And he told them many things in parables, saying:“ A sower went out to sow.

He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“ Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying,“ Consider the sower who went out to sow.

And He told them many things in parables, saying,“ Behold, the sower went out to sow;

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:“ Behold, a sower went out to sow.

And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow;

Then He told them many things in parables, saying:“ Consider the sower who went out to sow.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

He told them many things in parables, saying:“ Listen! A sower went out to sow.

He spoke to them many things in parables, saying,“ Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

He taught them many things using stories. In his teaching he said,“ Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up.Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep.When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots.Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain.Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”Then Jesus said,“ Whoever has ears should listen.”

Jesus finished telling these stories. Then he moved on from there.

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand.

Then Jesus said to them,“ Don’t you understand this story? Then how will you understand any stories of this kind?

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.”David was very angry with the rich man. He said to Nathan,“ The man who did this must die! And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive.The man must pay back four times as much as that lamb was worth. How could he do such a thing? And he wasn’t even sorry he had done it.”Then Nathan said to David,“ You are the man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says,‘ I anointed you king over Israel. I saved you from Saul.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd using stories. He did not say anything to them without telling a story.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)

“ A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. People walked on it, and the birds ate it up.Some seed fell on rocky ground. When it grew, the plants dried up because they had no water.Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up with it and crowded out the plants.Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 100 times more than the farmer planted.” When Jesus said this, he called out,“ Whoever has ears should listen.”

The disciples came to him. They asked,“ Why do you use stories when you speak to the people?”He replied,“ Because you have been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders.Everyone who has this kind of knowledge will be given more knowledge. In fact, they will have very much. If anyone doesn’t have this kind of knowledge, even what little they have will be taken away from them.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.

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

“ Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

At that time people will make fun of you. They will tease you by singing a song of sadness. They will pretend to be you and say,‘ We are totally destroyed. Our enemies have divided up our land. The Lord has taken it away from us! He has given our fields to those who turned against us.’ ”

Peter asked,“ Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?”

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!’“ Did you act in an honest way when you made Abimelek your king? Did you really do the right thing? Have you been fair to Jerub- Baal and his family? Have you given him the honor he’s worthy of?Remember that my father fought for you. He put his life in danger for you. He saved you from the power of Midian.But today you have turned against my father’s family. You have murdered his 70 sons on a big rock. Abimelek is only the son of my father’s female slave. But you have made him king over the citizens of Shechem. You have done that because he’s related to you.Have you citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo acted in an honest way toward Jerub- Baal? Have you done the right thing to his family today? If you have, may you be happy with Abimelek! And may he be happy with you!But if you haven’t, let fire come out from Abimelek and burn you up! And let fire come out from you and burn Abimelek up!”

I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It’s a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit.So the Lord said,“ People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And the vineyard will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over my vineyard.I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.

“ I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father.

Then Jesus told them a story.He said,“ Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won’t he leave the 99 in the open country? Won’t he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it?When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shouldersand go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say,‘ Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.’I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins.

So Jesus called them over to him. He began to speak to them using stories. He said,“ How can Satan drive out Satan?

Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said,“ A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place.

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.Put pieces of meat in it. Use all the best pieces. Use the leg and shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.Pick the finest animal in the flock. Pile wood under the pot to cook the bones. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the bones in it.” ’ ”The Lord and King says,“ How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. How terrible for the pot that is coated with scum! The scum on it will not go away. Take the meat out of the pot piece by piece. Take it out in whatever order it comes.“ The blood Jerusalem’s people spilled is inside its walls. They poured it out on a bare rock. They did not pour it on the ground. If they had, dust would have covered it up.So I put their blood on the bare rock. I did not want it to be covered up. I poured out my great anger on them. I paid them back.”So the Lord and King said to me,“ How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. I too will pile the wood high.So pile on the wood. Light the fire. Cook the meat well. Mix in the spices. Let the bones be blackened.Then set the empty pot on the coals. Let it get hot. Let its copper glow. Then what is not pure in it will melt. Its scum will be burned away.But it can’t be cleaned up. Its thick scum has not been removed. Even fire can’t burn it off.“ Jerusalem, you are really impure. I tried to clean you up. But you would not let me make you pure. So you will not be clean again until I am no longer so angry with you.“ I have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will do what I said I would do. You will be judged for your conduct and actions. I am the Lord,” announces the Lord and King.

Jesus told them more stories. He said,

He said,“ You have been given the chance to understand the secrets of God’s kingdom. But to outsiders I speak by using stories. In that way,“‘ They see, but they will not know what they are seeing. They hear, but they will not understand what they are hearing.’( Isaiah 6:9)

I will open my mouth and tell a story. I will speak about things that were hidden. They happened a long time ago.

I will pay attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle as I play the harp.

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

“ Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them,“‘ How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will this go on?’