| 1 | Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him; |
| 2 | and this led the Pharisees and the Scribes indignantly to complain, saying, 'He gives a welcome to notorious sinners, and joins them at their meals!' |
| 3 | So in figurative language He asked them, |
| 4 | 'Which of you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it? |
| 5 | And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad at heart. |
| 6 | Then coming home he calls his friends and neighbours together, and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.' |
| 7 | I tell you that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need of repentance. |
| 8 | 'Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully till she finds it? |
| 9 | And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, and says, ''Congratulate me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.' |
| 10 | 'I tell you that in the same way there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one repentant sinner.' |
| 11 | He went on to say, 'There was a man who had two sons. |
| 12 | The younger of them said to his father, ''Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.' 'So he divided his wealth between them. |
| 13 | No long time afterwards the younger son got all together and travelled to a distant country, where he wasted his money in debauchery and excess. |
| 14 | At last, when he had spent everything, there came a terrible famine throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch of want. |
| 15 | So he went and hired himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, who sent him on to his farm to tend swine; |
| 16 | and he longed to make a hearty meal of the pods the swine were eating, but no one gave him any. |
| 17 | 'But on coming to himself he said, ''How many of my father's hired men have more bread than they want, while I here am dying of hunger! |
| 18 | I will rise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you: |
| 19 | I no longer deserve to be called a son of yours: treat me as one of your hired men.' |
| 20 | 'So he rose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and pitied him, and ran and threw his arms round his neck and kissed him tenderly. |
| 21 | ''Father,' cried the son, 'I have sinned against Heaven and before you: no longer do I deserve to be called a son of yours.' |
| 22 | 'But the father said to his servants, ''Fetch a good coat quickly--the best one--and put it on him; and bring a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet. |
| 23 | Fetch the fat calf and kill it, and let us feast and enjoy ourselves; |
| 24 | for my son here was dead and has come to life again: he was lost and has been found.' 'And they began to be merry. |
| 25 | 'Now his elder son was out on the farm; and when he returned and came near home, he heard music and dancing. |
| 26 | Then he called one of the lads to him and asked what all this meant. |
| 27 | ''Your brother has come,' he replied; 'and your father has had the fat calf killed, because he has got him home safe and sound.' |
| 28 | 'Then he was angry and would not go in. But his father came out and entreated him. |
| 29 | ''All these years,' replied the son, 'I have been slaving for you, and I have never at any time disobeyed any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so much as a kid, for me to enjoy myself with my friends; |
| 30 | but now that this son of yours is come who has eaten up your property among his bad women, you have killed the fat calf for him.' |
| 31 | ''You my dear son,' said the father, 'are always with me, and all that is mine is also yours. |
| 32 | We are bound to make merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and has been found.'' |