The Purpose of the Parables

10 And (A)when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, (B)“To you has been given (C)the secret of the kingdom of God, but for (D)those outside everything is in parables, 12 (E)so that

“‘they (F)may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they (G)should turn and be forgiven.’”

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10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(A) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(B) everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

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Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to (A)The Gittith.[a] Of (B)Asaph.

81 (C)Sing aloud to God our strength;
    (D)shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Raise a song; sound (E)the tambourine,
    (F)the sweet lyre with (G)the harp.
Blow the trumpet at (H)the new moon,
    at the full moon, on our feast day.

For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule[b] of the God of Jacob.
He made it (I)a decree in (J)Joseph
    when he (K)went out over[c] the land of Egypt.
(L)I hear a language (M)I had not known:
“I (N)relieved your[d] shoulder of (O)the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you (P)called, and I delivered you;
    I (Q)answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I (R)tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
(S)Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no (T)strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a (U)foreign god.
10 (V)I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    (W)Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel (X)would not submit to me.
12 So I (Y)gave them over to their (Z)stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own (AA)counsels.
13 (AB)Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would (AC)walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
    and (AD)turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would (AE)cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you[e] with (AF)the finest of the wheat,
    and with (AG)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 81:4 Or just decree
  3. Psalm 81:5 Or against
  4. Psalm 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line
  5. Psalm 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him

Psalm 81[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God our strength;
    shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(A)
Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(B)
    play the melodious harp(C) and lyre.(D)

Sound the ram’s horn(E) at the New Moon,(F)
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(G)
When God went out against Egypt,(H)
    he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:(I)

“I removed the burden(J) from their shoulders;(K)
    their hands were set free from the basket.
In your distress you called(L) and I rescued you,
    I answered(M) you out of a thundercloud;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[c](N)
Hear me, my people,(O) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
You shall have no foreign god(P) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.(Q)
Open(R) wide your mouth and I will fill(S) it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.(T)
12 So I gave them over(U) to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,(V)
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(W) their enemies
    and turn my hand against(X) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(Y) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(Z)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
  2. Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

81 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

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The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in (A)purple and fine linen and (B)who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate (C)was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with (D)what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by (E)the angels (F)to Abraham's side.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in (G)Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and (H)saw Abraham far off and Lazarus (I)at his side. 24 And he called out, (J)‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and (K)cool my tongue, for (L)I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that (M)you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have (N)Moses and the Prophets; (O)let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, (P)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear (Q)Moses and the Prophets, (R)neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.(A) 20 At his gate was laid a beggar(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,(D) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’(E)

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,(F) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.(G) 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,(H) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses(I) and the Prophets;(J) let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’(K) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

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19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

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