Jesus' Parables
Jesus often taught through parables—short stories with deep spiritual truth. The parables are about God's kingdom, grace, judgment, and how we should live. They challenge listeners to think and act.
The Sower
About how God's word is received differently by different people.
3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow.
καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν.
4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
καὶ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ἃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ⸂ἐλθόντα τὰ πετεινὰ⸃ κατέφαγεν αὐτά.
5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once, because the soil was shallow,
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη ὅπου οὐκ εἶχεν γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλεν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς,
6but when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered because it had no root.
ἡλίου δὲ ἀνατείλαντος ἐκαυματίσθη καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ῥίζαν ἐξηράνθη.
7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ ⸀ἔπνιξαν αὐτά.
8But other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν, ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα.
18You, then, listen to the parable of the sower.
Ὑμεῖς οὖν ἀκούσατε τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ ⸀σπείραντος.
19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
παντὸς ἀκούοντος τὸν λόγον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ μὴ συνιέντος, ἔρχεται ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ ἁρπάζει τὸ ἐσπαρμένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς.
20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ εὐθὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς λαμβάνων αὐτόν,
21but he has no root in himself and lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
οὐκ ἔχει δὲ ῥίζαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιρός ἐστιν, γενομένης δὲ θλίψεως ἢ διωγμοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς σκανδαλίζεται.
22The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
ὁ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων, καὶ ἡ μέριμνα τοῦ αἰῶνος ⸀τούτου καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου συμπνίγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται.
23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold."
ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ⸂καλὴν γῆν⸃ σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ ⸀συνιείς, ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα.
The Prodigal Son
About God's heart for sinners and the joy over repentance.
11Then he said: "There was a man who had two sons.
Εἶπεν δέ· Ἄνθρωπός τις εἶχεν δύο υἱούς.
12The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.' So he divided his property between them.
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ νεώτερος αὐτῶν τῷ πατρί· Πάτερ, δός μοι τὸ ἐπιβάλλον μέρος τῆς οὐσίας· ⸂ὁ δὲ⸃ διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον.
13Not many days later the younger son gathered everything together and left for a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth in reckless living.
καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας συναγαγὼν ⸀πάντα ὁ νεώτερος υἱὸς ἀπεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν μακράν, καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισεν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ ζῶν ἀσώτως.
17Then he came to himself and said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough bread, while I am dying here of hunger!
εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν ⸀ἔφη· Πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου ⸀περισσεύονται ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ ⸂λιμῷ ὧδε⸃ ἀπόλλυμαι·
18I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐρῶ αὐτῷ· Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου,
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired hands.'
⸀οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου· ποίησόν με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου.
20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. He ran to him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.
καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ⸀ἑαυτοῦ. ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν.
22But the father said to his servants, 'Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ· ⸀Ταχὺ ⸀ἐξενέγκατε στολὴν τὴν πρώτην καὶ ἐνδύσατε αὐτόν, καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας,
23Bring the fattened calf and slaughter it. Let us eat and celebrate,
καὶ ⸀φέρετε τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν, θύσατε, καὶ φαγόντες εὐφρανθῶμεν,
24for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to celebrate.
ὅτι οὗτος ὁ υἱός μου νεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησεν, ⸂ἦν ἀπολωλὼς⸃ καὶ εὑρέθη. καὶ ἤρξαντο εὐφραίνεσθαι.
The Good Samaritan
About who our neighbor is and what it means to love.
30Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell among robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
ὑπολαβὼν ⸀δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Ἄνθρωπός τις κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ εἰς Ἰεριχὼ καὶ λῃσταῖς περιέπεσεν, οἳ καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν καὶ πληγὰς ἐπιθέντες ἀπῆλθον ἀφέντες ⸀ἡμιθανῆ.
31By chance a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
κατὰ συγκυρίαν δὲ ἱερεύς τις κατέβαινεν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἀντιπαρῆλθεν·
32So too a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ⸀Λευίτης κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐλθὼν καὶ ἰδὼν ἀντιπαρῆλθεν.
33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion.
Σαμαρίτης δέ τις ὁδεύων ἦλθεν κατʼ αὐτὸν καὶ ⸀ἰδὼν ἐσπλαγχνίσθη,
34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
καὶ προσελθὼν κατέδησεν τὰ τραύματα αὐτοῦ ἐπιχέων ἔλαιον καὶ οἶνον, ἐπιβιβάσας δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον κτῆνος ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς πανδοχεῖον καὶ ἐπεμελήθη αὐτοῦ.
36Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
⸀τίς τούτων τῶν τριῶν πλησίον δοκεῖ σοι γεγονέναι τοῦ ἐμπεσόντος εἰς τοὺς λῃστάς;
37He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἔλεος μετʼ αὐτοῦ. εἶπεν ⸀δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Πορεύου καὶ σὺ ποίει ὁμοίως.
The Lost Sheep
About God's care for each individual who goes astray.
3So he told them this parable:
εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην λέγων·
4"Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Τίς ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὑμῶν ἔχων ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ ⸀ἀπολέσας ⸂ἐξ αὐτῶν ἓν⸃ οὐ καταλείπει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ πορεύεται ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἕως εὕρῃ αὐτό;
5And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing,
καὶ εὑρὼν ἐπιτίθησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους ⸀αὐτοῦ χαίρων,
6and when he comes home he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.'
καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὸν οἶκον συγκαλεῖ τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς γείτονας, λέγων αὐτοῖς· Συγχάρητέ μοι ὅτι εὗρον τὸ πρόβατόν μου τὸ ἀπολωλός.
7I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως χαρὰ ⸂ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἔσται⸃ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι ἢ ἐπὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα δικαίοις οἵτινες οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν μετανοίας.
12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go looking for the one that strayed?
τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ⸀ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ⸀καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never strayed.
καὶ ἐὰν γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαίρει ἐπʼ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλανημένοις.
14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ⸀ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς ⸀ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἵνα ἀπόληται ⸀ἓν τῶν μικρῶν τούτων.
The Talents
About stewarding what God has given us.
14"For it is like a man going away on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his property to them.
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀποδημῶν ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς ἰδίους δούλους καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ,
15To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went away.
καὶ ᾧ μὲν ἔδωκεν πέντε τάλαντα ᾧ δὲ δύο ᾧ δὲ ἕν, ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν, καὶ ἀπεδήμησεν. εὐθέως
19After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
μετὰ δὲ ⸂πολὺν χρόνον⸃ ἔρχεται ὁ κύριος τῶν δούλων ἐκείνων καὶ συναίρει ⸂λόγον μετʼ αὐτῶν⸃
20The one who had received five talents came forward with five more. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ τὰ πέντε τάλαντα λαβὼν προσήνεγκεν ἄλλα πέντε τάλαντα λέγων· Κύριε, πέντε τάλαντά μοι παρέδωκας· ἴδε ἄλλα πέντε τάλαντα ⸀ἐκέρδησα.
21His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a little; I will put you in charge of much. Come and share your master's joy.'
⸀ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ· Εὖ, δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστέ, ἐπὶ ὀλίγα ἦς πιστός, ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω· εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου σου.
24Then the one who had received the single talent came forward. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed.
προσελθὼν δὲ καὶ ὁ τὸ ἓν τάλαντον εἰληφὼς εἶπεν· Κύριε, ἔγνων σε ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ ἄνθρωπος, θερίζων ὅπου οὐκ ἔσπειρας καὶ συνάγων ὅθεν οὐ διεσκόρπισας·
25So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here—you have what is yours.'
καὶ φοβηθεὶς ἀπελθὼν ἔκρυψα τὸ τάλαντόν σου ἐν τῇ γῇ· ἴδε ἔχεις τὸ σόν.
26His master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed?
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πονηρὲ δοῦλε καὶ ὀκνηρέ, ᾔδεις ὅτι θερίζω ὅπου οὐκ ἔσπειρα καὶ συνάγω ὅθεν οὐ διεσκόρπισα;
28So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
ἄρατε οὖν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ τάλαντον καὶ δότε τῷ ἔχοντι τὰ δέκα τάλαντα·
29For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.
τῷ γὰρ ἔχοντι παντὶ δοθήσεται καὶ περισσευθήσεται· ⸂τοῦ δὲ⸃ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
About humility and self-righteousness in prayer.
9He also told this parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else:
Εἶπεν δὲ ⸀καὶ πρός τινας τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς ὅτι εἰσὶν δίκαιοι καὶ ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιποὺς τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην·
10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Ἄνθρωποι δύο ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι, ⸀ὁ εἷς Φαρισαῖος καὶ ὁ ἕτερος τελώνης.
11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed like this: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
ὁ Φαρισαῖος σταθεὶς ⸂πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα⸃ προσηύχετο· Ὁ θεός, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ⸀ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοί, ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης·
12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all I get.'
νηστεύω δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου, ⸀ἀποδεκατῶ πάντα ὅσα κτῶμαι.
13But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
⸂ὁ δὲ⸃ τελώνης μακρόθεν ἑστὼς οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ⸂ἐπᾶραι εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν⸃, ἀλλʼ ⸀ἔτυπτε τὸ στῆθος ⸀αὐτοῦ λέγων· Ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ.
14I tell you, this man went down to his home justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ⸂παρʼ ἐκεῖνον⸃· ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.