57 Bible Verses about Parables

and you must say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{The great eagle with great wings and long feathers} [and] {full of variegated plumage} came to Lebanon and he took the treetop of the cedar.

Thus Yahweh said to me: "Go and buy for yourself a loincloth of linen and put it on your loins, but you must not {place} it in water."

Let me sing for my beloved a song of my love concerning his vineyard: {My beloved had a vineyard} on {a fertile hill}.

and you must say, 'What a lioness [was] your mother among [the] lions. She lay down in the midst of young lions, [and] she reared her lion cubs. And she raised up one from her cubs; he became a fierce lion, and he learned to tear prey; he ate humans.

And {deliver a proverb} to {the rebellious house}, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Place the pot! Place [it] and also pour water into it.

And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [they are] in parables, so that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

And the disciples came up [and] said to him, "{Why} do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered [and] said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those [people] it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him [more] will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. read more.
For this [reason] I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, "{You will listen carefully} and will never understand, and {you will look closely} and will never perceive. For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them." But your eyes [are] blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous [people] longed to see what you see, and did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it]!

And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, so that '{they may look closely} and not perceive, and {they may listen carefully} and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.'"

The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.'

And he said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."

that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which [it is] not permitted for a person to speak.

Listen, O my people, to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will offer a parable [with] my mouth. I will pour out riddles from long ago,

Jesus spoke all these [things] to the crowds in parables, and he was saying nothing to them without a parable, in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden since the creation."

And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear [it]. And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.

He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel in the midst of the wheat and went away. So when the {wheat} sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. read more.
So the slaves of the master of the house came [and] said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?' And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' So the slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go [and] gather them?' But he said, "No, lest [when you] gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, "First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse." '"

Then he left the crowds [and] came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, "Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us." So he answered [and] said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world. And the good seed--these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. read more.
And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Thus just as the darnel is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear!

So Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah, saying, "The thornbush which is in Lebanon sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife,' but an animal of the field which [is] in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thornbush.

And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush that [is] in Lebanon has sent to the cedar which [is] in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife.' But a wild animal of the field that [was] in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush.

"The sower went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, {some seed} fell on the side of the path and was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. And other [seed] fell on the rock, and [when it] came up, it withered, because it did not have moisture. And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorn plants, and the thorn plants grew up with [it] [and] choked it. read more.
And other [seed] fell on the good soil, and [when it] came up, it produced a hundred times as much grain." [As he] said these [things], he called out, "The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!" And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [they are] in parables, so that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' Now the parable means this: the seed is the word of God, and those beside the path are the ones who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe [and] be saved. And those on the rock [are those] who receive the word with joy when they hear [it], and these do not have [enough] root, who believe for a time and in a time of testing fall away. And the [seed] that fell into the thorn plants--these are the ones who hear and [as they] go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity. But the [seed] on the good soil--these are the ones who, [after] hearing the word, hold fast to [it] with a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

And he spoke many [things] to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow, and while he was sowing, {some seed} fell on the side of the path, and the birds came [and] devoured it. And other [seed] fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have [any] depth of soil. read more.
But [when] the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have [enough] root, it withered. And other [seed] fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. But other [seed] fell on the good soil and produced grain, this one a hundred [times as much] and this one sixty and this one thirty. The one who has ears, let him hear!" And the disciples came up [and] said to him, "{Why} do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered [and] said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those [people] it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him [more] will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. For this [reason] I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, "{You will listen carefully} and will never understand, and {you will look closely} and will never perceive. For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them." But your eyes [are] blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous [people] longed to see what you see, and did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it]! "You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: [When] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand [it], the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. And what was sown on the rocky ground--this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he does not have a root in himself, but {lasts only a little while}, and [when] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. And what was sown into the thorn plants--this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. But what was sown on the good soil--this is the one who hears the word and understands [it], who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred [times as much], and this one sixty, and this one thirty."

In the [same] way, therefore, every [one] of you who does not renounce all his own possessions {cannot be} my disciple.

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down [and] calculate the cost [to see] if he has [enough] {to complete it}? {Otherwise} [after] he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish [it], all who see [it] will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish!'

Your mother [was] like the vine in your vineyard; planted {fruitfully} beside water, and it was full of branches from many waters. And {she produced branches of strength} to scepters of rulers; its height became tall between thick foliage, and it was seen because of its tallness among the abundance of its branches. But it was uprooted in rage; it was thrown to the earth, and the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off, and its strong branch dried up; fire consumed it. read more.
And now [it is] planted in the desert, in a {dry and thirsty land}. And [so] fire has gone out from the stem of its branches; its fruit it has consumed, and [there] was not in it {a strong branch}, a scepter for ruling.'" This [is] a lament, and {it will be used as a lament}.

and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in {fertile soil} on many waters; [like] a willow he planted it. And it sprouted, and {it became a vine spreading out}, low of height, turning its branches to him, and its roots were under it, and {it became a vine}, and it made branches, and it sent out foliage. " '"And there was another great eagle, great of wings and [with] abundant plumage, and look! This vine stretched out its roots toward him and extended its branches to him to water it from the garden bed {where it was planted}. read more.
It was planted in good field by many waters to produce branches and to bear fruit to become {a beautiful vine}." ' Say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Will it prosper? Will he not tear out its roots, and will he not make its fruit scaly, and it will wither, and all of the freshness of its vegetation will dry up? And to lift it from its roots {will not require great strength or many people}. And look! [Though] it is planted, will it prosper? {When the east wind strikes it}, will it not dry up completely? On the garden bed of its vegetation it will dry up!" '"

"No one [after] lighting a lamp puts [it] in a cellar or under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is sincere, your whole body is full of light also. But when it is evil, your body [is] dark also. Therefore pay careful attention [that] the light in you is not darkness! read more.
If therefore your whole body [is] full of light, not having any part dark, it will be completely full of light, as when the lamp with [its] light gives light to you."

And he said to them, "Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, [is it]? [Is it] not so that it may be put on a lampstand?

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are {safe}.

But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong [man] [and] plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong [man], and then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

Let me sing for my beloved a song of my love concerning his vineyard: {My beloved had a vineyard} on {a fertile hill}. And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it [with] choice vines, and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for [it] to yield grapes-- but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. read more.
What more [was there] to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why did I hope for [it] to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes? And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard. [I will] remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation. [I will] break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling. And I will make it a wasteland; it shall not be pruned and hoed, and it shall be overgrown [with] briers and thornbushes. And concerning the clouds, I will command {them not to send} rain down upon it. For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the man of Judah [is] the plantation of his delight. [And] he waited for justice, but look! Bloodshed! For righteousness, but look! A cry of distress!

On that day: "A vineyard of beauty! Sing in praise of it! I, Yahweh, [am] her keeper; I water it {again and again}. Lest one afflict [harm] on it, I guard it night and day;

"Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their food at the right time? Blessed [is] that slave whom his master will find so doing [when he] comes back. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. read more.
But if that evil slave should say {to himself}, 'My master is staying away for a long time,' and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered [fish] of every kind, which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down [and] collected the good [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw out. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous read more.
and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. And [when he] found one very valuable pearl, he went [and] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.

And summoning the crowd, he said to them, "Hear and understand: It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth--this defiles a person." Then the disciples came [and] said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended [when they] heard this saying?" read more.
And he answered [and] said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. Let them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit." But Peter answered [and] said to him, "Explain this parable to us."

"For this [reason] the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man--a king--who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. And [when] he began to settle [them], someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. And [because] he did not have [enough] to repay [it], the master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and his children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. read more.
Then the slave threw himself to the ground [and] began to do obeisance to him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!' So the master of that slave, [because he] had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. But that slave went out [and] found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke [him], saying, 'Pay back everything that you owe!' Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground [and] began to implore him, saying, 'Be patient with me and I will repay you!' But he did not want to, but rather he went [and] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. So [when] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went [and] reported to their master everything that had happened. Then his master summoned him [and] said to him, 'Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?' And [because he] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers until he would repay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!"

"Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, [one of] whom they beat, and [one of] whom they killed, and [one of] whom they stoned. read more.
Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first [ones], and they did the same [thing] to them. So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But [when] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!' And they seized him [and] threw [him] out of the vineyard and killed [him]. Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?" They said to him, "He will destroy those evil [men] completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become {the cornerstone}. This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? For this [reason], I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and [the one] on whom it falls--it will crush him!" And [when] the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them,

"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer [is] near. So also you, when you see all these [things], know that he is near, at the door. Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these [things] take place!

He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took [and] sowed in his field. {It} is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches."

"Now what do you think? A man had two sons. [He] approached the first [and] said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' And he answered [and] said, 'I do not want to!' But later [he] changed his mind [and] went. And [he] approached the second [and] said the same [thing]. So he answered [and] said, 'I [will], sir,' and he did not go. read more.
Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And [when] you saw [it], you did not even change your minds later [so as] to believe in him.

For [it is] like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately. The one who had received the five talents went out [and] traded with them and gained five more. read more.
In the same way the one [who had] the two gained two more. But the one who had received the one went away [and] dug up the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. And the one who had received the five talents came up [and] brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few [things]; I will put you [in charge] over many [things]. Enter into the joy of your master!' And the one [who had] the two talents also came up [and] said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few [things]; I will put you [in charge] over many [things]. Enter into the joy of your master!' And the one who had received the one talent came up also [and] said, 'Master, [because I] knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter [seed]. And [because I] was afraid, I went away [and] hid your talent in the ground. See, you have [what is] yours!' But his master answered [and] said to him, 'Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter [seed]. Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and [when I] returned I would have gotten back [what was] mine with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give [it] to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, [more] will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness--in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

[Like] legs that hang limp from a lame person, so [is] a proverb in the mouth of fools.

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man--a king--who gave a wedding celebration for his son. And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened [cattle] have been slaughtered, and everything [is] ready. Come to the wedding celebration!" ' read more.
But they paid no attention [and] went away--this one to his own field, that one to his business. And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated [them] and killed [them]. And the king was angry and sent his troops [and] destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. Therefore, go out to the [places where] the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many [people] as you find.' And those slaves went out into the roads [and] gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled {with dinner guests}. But [when] the king came in to see the {dinner guests}, he saw a man there not dressed [in] wedding clothes. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But {he could say nothing}. Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up {hand and foot} [and] throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' For many are called but few [are] chosen."

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man--the master of the house--who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And [after] coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. read more.
And to those [people] he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same [thing]. And about the eleventh [hour] he went out [and] found others standing [there] and said to them, 'Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go also into the vineyard.' And [when] evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.' And [when] the ones [hired] about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. And [when] the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. And [when they] received [it], they began to complain against the master of the house, saying, 'These last [people] worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!' But he answered one of them [and] said, 'Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? Take [what is] yours and go! But I want to give to this last [person] [the same] as [I gave] to you also. Is it not permitted for me to do whatever I want with [what is] mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?' Thus the last will be first and the first last."

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. read more.
And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great."

"Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps [and] went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were foolish and five [were] wise. For [when] the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. read more.
But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. And [when] the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But in the middle of the night there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us [some] of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!' But the wise ones answered saying, "Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell [olive oil] and buy [some] for yourselves.' But [while] they had gone away to buy [it] the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut. And later the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open [the door] for us!' But he answered [and] said, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you!' Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

"The trees went certainly, to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, 'Rule over us.' And the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop [producing] my oil, which by me gods and men are honored, to go sway over the trees?' Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You, come rule over us.' read more.
But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I stop [producing] my sweetness, and my good crop, to go sway over the trees?' And the trees said to the vine, 'You, come rule over us.' But the vine said to them, 'Should I stop [producing] my wine that makes the gods and men happy, to go sway over the trees?' So all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You, come rule over us.' And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If in good faith you [are] anointing me as king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; if not, may fire go out from the thornbush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, "Two men were in a certain city; one [was] rich and the other [was] poor. The rich [man] had very many flocks and herds, but the poor [man] had nothing except for one small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for him. read more.
And a visitor came to the rich man, but he {was reluctant} to take from his flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

Then the king asked her, "{What do you want}?" And she said, "Truly I [am] a widow, and my husband [is] dead. Your servant had two sons, and they both fought in the open field, and there [was] no one {to part them}. One struck the other and killed him. And look, all of the family has risen up against your servant, and they said, 'Give up the one who struck his brother, that we may kill him in exchange for the life of his brother whom he murdered. We will also wipe out the heir,' and so they would put out my embers which remain, by not preserving for my husband a name and a remnant on the face of the earth."

Now I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, because the people made me afraid, and your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king, perhaps the king will grant the request of his servant.

As the king [was] passing by, he called to the king and said, "Your servant went out in the thick of the battle, and suddenly a man turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man. If by any means he should be missed, it will be your life in his place, or you shall pay a talent of silver.'

So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, "Two men were in a certain city; one [was] rich and the other [was] poor.

But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found [and] concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.

"Now a certain man was rich, and dressed [in] purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day. And a certain poor man {named} Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate, and was longing to be filled with what fell from the table of the rich man. But even the dogs came [and] licked his sores. read more.
Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to {Abraham's side}. And the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes [as he] was in torment [and] saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus {at his side}. And he called out [and] said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good [things] during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad [things]. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain. And in [addition to] all these [things], a great chasm has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able [to do so], nor can they cross over from there to us.' So he said, 'Then I ask you, father, that you send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he could warn them, in order that they also should not come to this place of torment!' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they must listen to them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead.'"

Or what king, going out to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first [and] deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand. But if not, [while] [the other] is still far away, he sends an ambassador [and] asks {for terms of} peace. In the [same] way, therefore, every [one] of you who does not renounce all his own possessions {cannot be} my disciple.

And Jesus replied [and] said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat [him]. [After] inflicting blows on [him], they went away, leaving [him] half dead. Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and [when he] saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. And in the same way also a Levite, [when he] came down to the place and saw [him], passed by on the opposite side. read more.
But a certain Samaritan who was traveling came up to him and, [when he] saw [him], had compassion. And he came up [and] bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine, and he put him on his own animal [and] brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the next day, he took out two denarii [and] gave [them] to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him, and whatever you spend in addition, I will repay to you when I return. Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?" So he said, "The one who showed mercy to him." And Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."

And he also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say at once, 'A rainstorm is coming,' and so it happens. And when [you see] the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be burning heat,' and it happens. Hypocrites! You know how to evaluate the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how [is it] you do not know how to evaluate this present time? read more.
And why do you not also judge for yourselves [what is] right?

"Now salt [is] good, but if salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be made salty? It is usable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

And he told a parable to them, saying, "The land of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. And he reasoned to himself, saying, 'What should I do? For I do not have anywhere I can gather in my crops.' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather in there all my grain and possessions. read more.
And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!" ' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your life is demanded from you, and [the things] which you have prepared--whose will they be?' So [is] the one who stores up treasure for himself, and who is not rich toward God!"

Therefore he said, "A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business {until I come back}.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to be king over us!' read more.
And it happened that when he returned [after] receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. So the first arrived, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, {have authority} over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made five minas.' So he said to this one also, 'And you be over five cities.' And another came, saying, 'Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man--you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!' He said to him, '{By your own words} I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, [when I] returned, would have collected it with interest?' And to the bystanders he said, 'Take away from him the mina and give [it] to the one who has the ten minas!' And they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten minas.' 'I tell you that to everyone who has, [more] will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring [them] here and slaughter them [in] my presence!'"

It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority--to each one his work--and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning-- lest he arrive suddenly [and] find you sleeping. read more.
And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!"

"Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find [it].

And he said, "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to [his] father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to [me].' So he divided [his] assets between them. And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything [and] went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth [by] living wastefully. read more.
And [after] he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. And he went [and] hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. And he was longing to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving [anything] to him. "But [when he] came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have an abundance {of food}, and I am dying here from hunger! I will set out [and] go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and {in your sight}! I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.' And he set out [and] came to his own father. But [while] he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran {and embraced him} and kissed him. And [his] son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and {in your sight}! I am no longer worthy to be called your son!' But [his] father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put [it] on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on [his] feet! And bring the fattened calf--kill [it] and let us eat [and] celebrate, because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came [and] approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the slaves [and] asked what these [things] meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has gotten him back healthy.' But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out [and] began to implore him. But he answered [and] said to his father, 'Behold, so many years I have served you, and have never disobeyed your command! And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! But when this son of yours returned--who has consumed your assets with prostitutes--you killed the fattened calf for him!' But he said to him, 'Child, you are always with me, and {everything I have belongs to you}. But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!'"

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took [and] put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole [batch] was leavened."

But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse.

Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. {Otherwise} the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved."

Now he told a parable to those who had been invited [when he] noticed how they were choosing for themselves the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline at the table in the place of honor, lest [someone] more distinguished than you has been invited by him, and the one who invited you {both} will come [and] say to you, 'Give the place to this person,' and then with shame you will begin to take the last place. read more.
But when you are invited, go [and] recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

And he also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and looked down on {everyone else}: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood [and] prayed these [things] with reference to himself: 'God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people--swindlers, unrighteous [people], adulterers, or even like this tax collector! read more.
I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds [it]? And [when she] has found [it], she calls together [her] friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost!' In the [same] way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

"There were two debtors [who owed] a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. [When] they were not able to repay [him], he forgave [the debts] of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered [and] said, "I suppose that [it is the one] to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged correctly." read more.
And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for [my] feet, but she wet my feet with [her] tears and wiped [them] with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. {For this reason} I tell you, her sins--[which were] many--have been forgiven, for she loved much. But [the one] to whom little is forgiven loves little."

"For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of [his] evil [treasury] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye? How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye!

And Jesus said to them, "{The bridegroom's attendants} are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows--{he does not know how}. By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. read more.
But when the crop permits, he sends [in] the sickle right away, because the harvest has come."

Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which [was] on him and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I [am about] to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give to you ten tribes, but one tribe shall be for him, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel;

"Therefore, you shall say to them this word, 'Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: "Every jar must be filled with wine." ' And they will say to you, 'Do we not certainly know that every jar should be filled with wine?' Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says Yahweh: "Look, I [am] about to fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem [with] drunkenness. And I will smash them, each one against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together," {declares} Yahweh. "I will not have compassion, and I will not take pity, and I will not show compassion from destroying them." '"

As the king [was] passing by, he called to the king and said, "Your servant went out in the thick of the battle, and suddenly a man turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man. If by any means he should be missed, it will be your life in his place, or you shall pay a talent of silver.' It happened that your servant {was busy here and there}, and he {disappeared}." Then the king said to him, "Your own judgment has been determined." He quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he [was] from the prophets.

Listen, and hear my voice! Listen attentively, and hear my word! Is it all day [that] the plowman plows, opens to sow seed, harrows his ground? When he has leveled its {surface}, does he not scatter dill, and sow cumin seed, and {plant} wheat [in] planted rows, and barley [in] an appointed place, and spelt grain [as] its border? read more.
And his God instructs him about the prescription; he teaches him. For dill is not threshed with threshing sledge, nor is a wheel of a utility cart {rolled} over cumin, but dill is beaten out with stick, and cumin with rod. Grain is crushed fine, but certainly one does not thresh it forever; and one drives the wheel of his cart, but his horses do not crush it. This also comes forth from Yahweh of hosts. He is wonderful [in] advice; he makes great wisdom.

And he said to them, "Who of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.' And that one will answer from inside [and] say, 'Do not cause me trouble! The door has already been shut and my children are with me in bed! I am not able to get up to give you [anything].' read more.
I tell you, even if he does not give him [anything] [after he] gets up because [he] is his friend, at any rate because of his impudence he will get up [and] give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you.

And he told them a parable to [show that] they must always pray and not be discouraged, saying, "There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!' read more.
And he was not willing for a time, but after these [things] he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end [by her] coming back!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! And will not God surely {see to it that justice is done} to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? I tell you that {he will see to it that justice is done} for them soon! Nevertheless, [when] the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?"

And he told this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find [any]. So he said to the gardener, 'Behold, {for three years} I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and did not find [any]. Cut it down! Why should it even exhaust the soil?' But he answered [and] said to him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on [it]. read more.
And if indeed it produces fruit in the coming [year], [so much the better], but if not, you can cut it down.'"

And he also said to the disciples, "A certain man was rich, who had a manager. And charges were brought to him that this person was squandering his possessions. And he summoned him [and] said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give the account of your management, because you can no longer manage.' And the manager said to himself, 'What should I do, because my master is taking away the management from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. read more.
I know what I should do, so that when I am removed from the management they will welcome me into their homes!' And he summoned each one of his own master's debtors [and] said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of olive oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your promissory note and sit down quickly [and] write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your promissory note and write eighty.' And the master praised the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder than the sons of light with regard to their own generation.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he removes it, and every [branch] that bears fruit, he prunes it in order that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither [can] you, unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you [are] the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him--this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything.

"Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up at some other place--that one is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. read more.
Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what it was that he was saying to them.

So he told them this parable, saying, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? And [when he] has found [it], he places [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing. read more.
And [when he] returns to [his] home, he calls together [his] friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!' I tell you that in the [same] way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

And he became hungry and wanted to eat. But [while] they were preparing [the food], a trance came over him. And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners, in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of the sky. read more.
And a voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!" But Peter said, "Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!" And the voice [came] again to him for the second time: "[The things] which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!" And this happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

Then the king asked her, "{What do you want}?" And she said, "Truly I [am] a widow, and my husband [is] dead. Your servant had two sons, and they both fought in the open field, and there [was] no one {to part them}. One struck the other and killed him. And look, all of the family has risen up against your servant, and they said, 'Give up the one who struck his brother, that we may kill him in exchange for the life of his brother whom he murdered. We will also wipe out the heir,' and so they would put out my embers which remain, by not preserving for my husband a name and a remnant on the face of the earth." read more.
Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I myself will give the command concerning you." The Tekoite woman said to the king, "On me, my lord the king, [is] the guilt, and on the house of my father, but the king on his throne [is] innocent." The king said, "[Whoever] has spoken to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you again." Then she said, "Please may the king remember Yahweh your God, {to prevent the increase of blood avengers who kill}, [so that they] not wipe out my son." He said, "{As Yahweh lives}, surely not one hair shall fall from your son to the ground." The woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

Now in a great house [there] are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthenware [ones], some of which [are] for honorable use, and some of which [are] for ordinary use. Therefore, if someone cleanses himself from these [things], he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone staring at {his own face} in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of [person] he was. But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [to do it], not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed {in what he does}.

But Yahweh said, "You are troubled about the plant, for which you did not labor nor cause it to grow. {It grew up in a night and it perished in a night}! And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, the great city, {in which there are} more {than one hundred and twenty thousand} people who do not know right from left, plus many animals?"

And they told Jotham, and he went up and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and {he cried out loud} and said to them, "Listen to me, lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

You uprooted a vine from Egypt; you drove out [the] nations and planted it. You prepared [a place] before it, and {it took deep root} and filled [the] land. [The] mountains were covered with its shade, and [the] mighty cedars [with] its boughs. read more.
It spread its branches to [the] sea and its shoots to [the] river. Why have you broken down its walls, so that all [who] pass on [the] road pluck [fruit from] it? Swine from the forests devour it and creatures of [the] field feed on it. Please return, O God [of] hosts. Observe from heaven and see, and pay attention to this vine, even[the] stalk that your right hand planted, and concerning [the] shoot you strengthened for yourself. [It is] burned with fire, cut down. They perish at the rebuke of your face.

"And you, raise a lament about the leaders of Israel, and you must say, 'What a lioness [was] your mother among [the] lions. She lay down in the midst of young lions, [and] she reared her lion cubs. And she raised up one from her cubs; he became a fierce lion, and he learned to tear prey; he ate humans. read more.
And nations heard about him; in their pit he was caught, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. And she saw that she was waiting [in vain]; her hope was destroyed, and she took one from her cubs, [and] she made him a fierce lion. And he walked about in the midst of lions; he became a fierce lion, and he learned to tear prey; he ate humans. And he knew their widows, and he devastated their cities, and [the] land was appalled, and {everyone in it} at the sound of his roar. And nations set out against him {from the surrounding provinces}, and they spread their net over him, and he was caught in their pit. And they put him in a collar with hooks, and they brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into a prison, so that his voice [would] not be heard {any longer} on the mountains of Israel.

So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, "Two men were in a certain city; one [was] rich and the other [was] poor. The rich [man] had very many flocks and herds, but the poor [man] had nothing except for one small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for him. read more.
And a visitor came to the rich man, but he {was reluctant} to take from his flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him." Then {the anger of David was kindled} against the man, and he said to Nathan, "{As Yahweh lives}, the man who has done this {deserves to die}! He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity."

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the female slave and one by the free woman. But the one by the female slave was born according to human descent, and the one by the free woman through the promise, which [things] are spoken allegorically, for these [women] are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing [children] for slavery, who is Hagar. read more.
Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is a slave with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to [children]; burst out and shout, [you] who do not have birth pains, because many [are] the children of the desolate [woman], even more than [those of] the one who has a husband." But you, brothers, are children of the promise, just as Isaac. But just as at that time the [child] born according to human descent persecuted the [child born] according to the Spirit, so also now. But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the female slave and her son, for the son of the female slave will never inherit with the son" of the free woman. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the female slave but of the free woman.

And {deliver a proverb} to {the rebellious house}, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Place the pot! Place [it] and also pour water into it. Gather its pieces to it, every good piece, thigh and shoulder, fill it [with] choice bones; take the choicest of the flock, and also pile the bones under it; {boil it vigorously}; indeed, its bones boiled in the midst of it." '"

And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand.

And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

And he also told them a parable: "Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, [can he]? Will they not both fall into a pit?

Suffer together with [me] as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one who serves as a soldier is entangled in the activities of [everyday] life, so that he may please the one who enlisted [him].

"The trees went certainly, to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive tree, 'Rule over us.' And the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop [producing] my oil, which by me gods and men are honored, to go sway over the trees?' Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You, come rule over us.' read more.
But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I stop [producing] my sweetness, and my good crop, to go sway over the trees?' And the trees said to the vine, 'You, come rule over us.' But the vine said to them, 'Should I stop [producing] my wine that makes the gods and men happy, to go sway over the trees?' So all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You, come rule over us.' And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If in good faith you [are] anointing me as king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; if not, may fire go out from the thornbush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

So Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah, saying, "The thornbush which is in Lebanon sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife,' but an animal of the field which [is] in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thornbush.

And also if anyone competes he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

The farmer who works hard must [be] the first to receive a share of the crops.