² “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.^(A)

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,^(A) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?^(B)’”^[a]

¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;^(A) then we shall see face to face.^(B) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.^(C)

³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.^{(A) 34} He did not say anything to them without using a parable.^(B) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

³⁵ So was fulfilled^(A) what was spoken through the prophet:

¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled^(B) the prophecy of Isaiah:

³ Tell this rebellious people^(A) a parable^(B) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

Nathan Rebukes David^(A)

12 The Lord sent Nathan^(B) to David.^(C) When he came to him,^(D) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³ 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.

⁴ “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.”