Thisfigure of speechJesusspoketo them, but they did not understandwhatthose things were whichHe had been sayingto them.
Our fathersin Egyptdid not understandYour wonders;They did not rememberYour abundantkindnesses,But rebelledby the sea,at the RedSea.
They do not knownordo they understand;They walkabout in darkness;Allthe foundationsof the earthare shaken.
Evilmendo not understandjustice,But those who seekthe LORDunderstandallthings.
And the dogsare greedy,they are not satisfied.And they are shepherdswho havenounderstanding;They have allturnedto their own way,Eachoneto his unjustgain,to the lastone.
"Manywill be purged,purifiedand refined,but the wickedwill actwickedly;and noneof the wickedwill understand,but those who haveinsightwill understand.
Allthese thingsJesusspoketo the crowdsin parables,and He did not speakto them withouta parable.
"Have you understoodallthese things?"They saidto Him, "Yes."
and He did not speakto them withouta parable;but He was explainingeverythingprivatelyto His owndisciples.
"These thingsI have spokento you in figurativelanguage;an houris comingwhenI will no longerspeakto you in figurative language,but will tellyou plainlyof the Father.
His disciplessaid,"Lo,nowYou are speakingplainlyand are not usinga figure of speech.
Thenthe Jews[began] to arguewith one another,saying,"Howcanthis mangiveus [His] fleshto eat?"
Thereforemanyof His disciples,when they heard[this] said,"Thisis a difficultstatement;whocanlistento it?"
"Whatis thisstatementthat He said,You will seekMe, and will not findMe; and whereI am,you cannotcome'?"
They did not realizethat He had been speakingto them about the Father.
"Whydo you not understandwhat I am saying?[It is] becauseyou cannothearMy word.
But a naturalmandoes not acceptthe things of the Spiritof God,for they are foolishnessto him; and he cannotunderstandthem, becausethey are spirituallyappraised.
It has happenedto them according to the true proverb,"A DOGRETURNSTO ITS OWNVOMIT,"and, "A sow,after washing,[returns] to wallowingin the mire."
And we knowthat the Sonof Godhas come,and has givenus understandingsothat we may knowHim whois true;and we are in Him who is true,in His SonJesusChrist.Thisis the true Godand eternallife.
