
The Parable of the Ewe Lamb (Old Testament)
The Parable of the Ewe Lamb (2 Samuel 12:1-4) is one of the more famous parables from the Old Testament. It is a parable about the injustice of the rich taking from the poor. This is a modern retelling by Juan Artola Miranda.
A long time ago, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a wealthy shepherd named David. He was well-respected and had vast herds of sheep, so numerous that they covered the hillsides. David was admired for his wealth and power, and he enjoyed a life of great abundance.
In the same kingdom, there lived a poor man named Uri. Uri was a humble man who had only one precious ewe lamb. Despite his humble circumstances, he loved the little lamb dearly, and she was like a member of his family. Uri cared for the lamb with great devotion, feeding her from his own plate and letting her drink from his own cup. At night, she would sleep by his side, providing comfort and warmth.
One day, a traveller came to visit David, the wealthy shepherd. As was customary, David was expected to prepare a meal to honour his guest. With his many flocks, it would have been an easy task for David to select one of his countless sheep for the feast.
However, rather than choose from his own vast herds, David’s eyes wandered toward Uri’s small, humble dwelling. He saw Uri’s beloved ewe lamb, and he coveted her. Instead of taking a sheep from his own flock, David decided to seize the poor man’s only possession, the one he cherished above all else.
David ordered his servants to take Uri’s ewe lamb by force, and they slaughtered her to prepare a feast for the visiting traveller. The wealthy shepherd showed no remorse for his actions, nor did he seem to realize the heartache he had caused Uri.
When word of David’s actions reached the wise prophet, Nathan, he went to confront the shepherd. Nathan shared the story of Uri and his beloved ewe lamb, and as David listened, anger flared within him.
“Who is this heartless man who would dare to do such a thing?” David demanded. “He surely deserves to die for his cruelty!”
Nathan then looked into David’s eyes and said, “You, O shepherd, are the heartless man of this tale!”
Juan Artola Miranda
I am Juan Artola Miranda, a fabulist living in the Mexican Caribbean. My friends know me by the name of my father's father, but that name grew into something bigger, my writing reaching tens of millions of readers. It was too strong for me to control. Artola Miranda is the name of my mother's mother. It's a better name for a fabulist.