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

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.

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

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

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 by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“ Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”Then he said,“ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.

The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them— they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.

Then Jesus said to them,“ If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story:“ There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”David was furious.“ As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed,“ any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”Then Nathan said to David,“ You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:“ I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

“ A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture.Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out,“ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

His disciples came and asked him,“ Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”He replied,“ You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

Then I said,“ O Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me,‘ He only talks in riddles!’”

“ Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.

In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about you:“ We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us. He has given our fields to those who betrayed us.”

Peter asked,“ Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree,‘ Be our king!’But the olive tree refused, saying,‘ Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’“ Then they said to the fig tree,‘ You be our king!’But the fig tree also refused, saying,‘ Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’“ Then they said to the grapevine,‘ You be our king!’But the grapevine also refused, saying,‘ Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’“ Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said,‘ Come, you be our king!’And the thornbush replied to the trees,‘ If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”Jotham continued,“ Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished?For he fought for you and risked his life when he rescued you from the Midianites.But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative.“ If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth millo and devour Abimelech!”

Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill.He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.

“ I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.

So Jesus told them this story:“ If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying,‘ Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration.“ How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked.

Then Jesus began teaching them with stories:“ A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord:“ Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water.Fill it with choice pieces of meat— the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts.Use only the best sheep from the flock, and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat.“ Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a cooking pot whose corruption can’t be cleaned out. Take the meat out in random order, for no piece is better than another.For the blood of her murders is splashed on the rocks. It isn’t even spilled on the ground, where the dust could cover it!So I will splash her blood on a rock for all to see, an expression of my anger and vengeance against her.“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.Yes, heap on the wood! Let the fire roar to make the pot boil. Cook the meat with many spices, and afterward burn the bones.Now set the empty pot on the coals. Heat it red hot! Burn away the filth and corruption.But it’s hopeless; the corruption can’t be cleaned out. So throw it into the fire.Your impurity is your lewdness and the corruption of your idolatry. I tried to cleanse you, but you refused. So now you will remain in your filth until my fury against you has been satisfied.“ I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign Lord.”

Jesus also told them other parables. He said,

He replied,“ You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:‘ When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’

for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—

I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

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

“ But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying,‘ What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You’ve become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?’