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Luke 15
New Testament for Everyone
Luke 15
New Testament for Everyone
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin
15 All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus. 2 The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”
3 So Jesus told them this parable. 4 “Supposing one of you has a hundred sheep,” he said, “and you lose one of them. What will you do? Why, you’ll leave the ninety-nine out in the countryside, and you’ll go off looking for the lost one until you find it! 5 And when you find it, you’ll be so happy—you’ll put it on your shoulders 6 and come home, and you’ll call your friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ you’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’
7 “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad they will be in heaven over one sinner who repents—more than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
8 “Or supposing a woman has ten drachmas and loses one of them. What will she do? Why, she’ll light a lamp, and sweep the house, and hunt carefully until she finds it! 9 And when she finds it she’ll call her friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ she’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost coin!’
10 “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad God’s angels feel when a single sinner repents.”
The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the younger son
11 Jesus went on: “Once there was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son said to the father, ‘Father, give me my share in the property.’ So he divided up his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days later the younger son turned his share into cash, and set off for a country far away, where he spent his share in having a riotous good time.
14 “When he had spent it all, a severe famine came on that country, and he found himself destitute. 15 So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs. 16 He longed to satisfy his hunger with the pods that the pigs were eating, and nobody gave him anything.
17 “He came to his senses. ‘Just think!’ he said to himself. ‘There are all my father’s hired hands with plenty to eat—and here am I, starving to death! 18 I shall get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him: “Father; I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer. Make me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20 And he got up and went to his father.
“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart was stirred with love and pity. He ran to him, hugged him tight, and kissed him. 21 ‘Father,’ the son began, ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him! Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet! 23 And bring the calf that we’ve fattened up, kill it, and let’s eat and have a party! 24 This son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the older son
25 “The older son was out in the fields. When he came home, and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
27 “ ‘Your brother’s come home!’ he said. ‘And your father has thrown a great party—he’s killed the fattened calf!—because he’s got him back safe and well!’
28 “He flew into a rage, and wouldn’t go in.
“Then his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 ‘Look here!’ he said to his father, ‘I’ve been slaving for you all these years! I’ve never disobeyed a single commandment of yours. And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours comes home, once he’s finished gobbling up your livelihood with his whores, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “ ‘My son,’ he replied, ‘you’re always with me. Everything I have belongs to you. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy! This brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ ”
Luke 15
New International Version
Luke 15
New International Version
The Parable of the Lost Sheep(A)
15 Now the tax collectors(B) and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”(C)
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:(D) 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?(E) 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’(F) 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.(G)
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’(H) 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(I)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.(J) 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’(K) So he divided his property(L) between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth(M) in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.(N) 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned(O) against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.(P)
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.(Q) I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe(R) and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger(S) and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;(T) he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.(U)
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry(V) and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property(W) with prostitutes(X) comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”(Y)
Footnotes
- Luke 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.