Matthew 13:3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow.
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Matthew 13:3
New International Version
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Mark 4:2-9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:(A) 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”(B) 9 And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(C)
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Mark 4:2-9
New International Version
2 He taught them many things by parables,(A) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(B) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(C)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(D)
Mark 4:13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?
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Mark 4:13
New International Version
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
Matthew 13:34-35
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Use of Parables
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.(A) 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:[a]
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation.”[b](B)
Matthew 13:34-35
New International Version
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.(A) 35 So was fulfilled(B) what was spoken through the prophet:
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:35 Psalm 78:2
Luke 8:5-8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and as it grew up it withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(A)
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Luke 8:5-8
New International Version
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(A)
Mark 4:33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Use of Parables
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it;(A)
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Mark 4:33
New International Version
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(A)
Matthew 13:53
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.(A)
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Matthew 13:53
New International Version
Matthew 13:10-13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets[a] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.(A) 12 For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.(B) 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.’(C)
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- 13.11 Or mysteries
Matthew 13:10-13
New International Version
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(A) has been given to you,(B) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(C) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(D)
2 Samuel 12:1-7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 1
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;(D)
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2 Samuel 12:1-7
New International Version
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.”
5 David(E) burned with anger(F) against the man(G) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,(H) the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over,(I) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(J) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(K) you(L) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
Mark 12:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.(A)
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Mark 12:12
New International Version
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;(A) so they left him and went away.(B)
Ezekiel 24:3-14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:
Set on the pot; set it on;
pour in water also;(A)
4 put in it the pieces,
all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder;
fill it with choice cuts.
5 Take the choicest one of the flock;
pile the logs[a] under it;
boil its pieces;[b]
seethe[c] also its bones in it.
6 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city,
the pot whose crud is in it,
whose crud has not gone out of it!
Empty it piece by piece,
making no choice at all.[d](B)
7 For the blood she shed is inside it;
she placed it on a bare rock;
she did not pour it out on the ground,
to cover it with earth.(C)
8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance,
I have placed the blood she shed
on a bare rock,
so that it may not be covered.
9 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city!
I will even make the pile great.(D)
10 Heap up the logs; kindle the fire;
boil the meat well; boil down the broth;[e]
let the bones be burned.
11 Stand it empty upon the coals,
so that it may become hot, its copper glow,
its filth melt in it, its crud be consumed.
12 In vain I have wearied myself;[f]
its thick crud does not depart.
To the fire with its crud!
13 Yet when I cleansed you in your filthy lewdness,
you did not become clean from your filth;
you shall not again be cleansed
until I have satisfied my fury upon you.(E)
14 I the Lord have spoken; the time is coming; I will act. I will not refrain; I will not spare; I will not relent. According to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord God.(F)
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Ezekiel 24:3-14
New International Version
3 Tell this rebellious people(A) a parable(B) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(C) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(D)
5 take the pick of the flock.(E)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(F)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(G) to the city of bloodshed,(H)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(I) it comes.(J)
7 “‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.(K)
8 To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.(L)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(M) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(N)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(O) The time has come for me to act.(P) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(Q) nor will I relent.(R) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(S) declares the Sovereign Lord.(T)’”
Psalm 78:2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,(A)
Psalm 78:2
New International Version
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(A)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
Psalm 49:4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.(A)
Psalm 49:4
New International Version
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