² O mortal, propound a riddle and speak an allegory to the house of Israel.^(A)

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Ah Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of allegories?’ ”^(A)

¹² For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.^(A)

The Use of Parables

³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it;^{(A) 34} he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.^(B)

³⁵ This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:^[a]

¹³ The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’^{(A) 14} With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

³ And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:

12 ¹ and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.^{(A) 2} The rich man had very many flocks and herds, ³ but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare and drink from his cup and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴ Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.”