"There were two men in one city," he said, "the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

Der boede to mænd i samme by, sagde profeten, en rig og en fattig. Den rige havde småkvæg og hornkvæg i mængde, mens den fattige ikke ejede andet end et eneste lille lam, som han havde købt og opdrættet, og som var vokset op hos ham sammen med hans børn; det åd af hans brød, drak af hans bæger og lå i hans skød og var ham som en datter. Men da den rige mand engang fik besøg, ømmede han sig ved at tage noget af sit eget småkvæg eller hornkvæg og tillave det til den vejfarende mand, som var kommet til ham, men tog den fattige mands lam og tillavede det til sin gæst!