May your ears hear the words your own mouth has spoken

From A Treasury of Jewish Folklore by Nathan Ausubel.

The Parable of the Two Gents

Once, after he had listened to his counsellor, Nicholas of Valencia, speaking evil against the Jews, King Don Pedro was very much perplexed in his own mind.

“There is a wise man among the Jews whose name is Ephraim Sancho,” the king recalled. “Bring him to me.”

So they brought Ephraim Sancho before the king.

“Which faith is superior, yours or ours?” the king sternly demanded of Ephraim.

When Ephraim heard the king’s question he was thrown into confusion and said to himself: “Be wary, for the enemies of Israel have laid a trap for you in order to do you harm.”

But to the king he said: “Our faith, O King, suits us better for, when we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, our God, by means of many wondrous signs and miracles, led us out of the land of bondage into freedom. For you Christians, however, your own faith is the better because, by its means, you have been able to establish your rule over most of the earth.”

When King Pedro heard this he was vexed. “I did not ask you what benefits each religion brings to its believers,” he said. “What I want to know is: which are superior — your or our own precepts?”

And again Ephraim Sancho was thrown into confusion. He said to himself: “If I tell the king that the precepts of his religion are superior to mine I shall have denied the God of my fathers and shall therefore deserve all the punishments of Gehenna. On the other hand, should I tell him that the precepts of my religion excel his he will be sure to have me burned at the stake.”

But to the king Ephraim said: “If it please the King — let me ponder his question carefully for three days, for it requires much reflection. At the end of the third day I will come to him with my answer.”

And King Pedro said: “Let it be as you say.”

And for the three days that followed the spirit of Ephraim was rent within him. He neither ate nor slept but put on sackcloth and ashes and prayed for divine' guidance. But, when the time arrived for him to see the king, he put all fear aside and went to the palace with his answer.

When Ephraim Sancho came before the king he looked downcast.

“Why are you so sad?” the king asked him.

“I am sad with good reason for, without any cause whatsoever, I was humiliated today,” answered Ephraim. “I will let you be my judge in this matter, O King.”

“Speak!” said King Don Pedro.

Ephraim Sancho then began: “A month ago to this day a neighbor of mine, a jeweler, went on a distant journey. Before he departed in order to preserve the peace between his two bickering sons while he was away, he gave each of them a gift of a costly gem. But only today the two brothers came to me and said: ‘O Ephraim, give us the value of these gems and judge which is the superior of the two!’

“I replied: ‘Your father himself is a great artist and an expert on precious stones. Why don’t you ask him? Surely he will give you a better judgment than I.’

When they heard this they became enraged. They abused and beat me. Judge, O King, whether my grievance is just!”

“Those rogues have mistreated you without cause!” cried the king. “They deserve to be punished for this outrage.”

When Ephraim Sancho heard the king speak thus he rejoiced. “O King!” he exclaimed. “May your ears hear the words your own mouth has spoken, for they are true and just. Know that such two brothers as these were Esau and Jacob, and each of them received for his own happiness a priceless gem. You have asked me, O King, which of the two gems is superior. How can I give you a proper answer? Send a messenger to the only expert of these gems — Our Father in Heaven. Let Him tell you which is the better .”

When King Pedro heard Ephraim Sancho speak thus he marvelled greatly. “Behold, Nicholas,” he said to his counsellor.
“Consider the wisdom of this Jew. Since he has spoken justly then justice shall be done to him. He deserves, not rebuke and harm, but respect and honor. You, however, deserve to be punished, for you have spoken nothing but evil slanders against the Jews.”