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15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'

So Jesus told them this story.

He said, `Which one of you will not do this? A man has a hundred sheep. He loses one of them. He leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and he goes to look for the one that is lost. He looks until he finds it.

And when he has found it, he is very glad. He carries it on his back.

When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbours to come. He says, "Be glad with me! I have found my lost sheep."

`I tell you, the angels in heaven will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things. The angels will be more glad about that one person than about ninety-nine good people who do not need to change their ways.'

`What woman will not do this? She has ten pieces of silver money. If she loses one of them, she lights a lamp and sweeps the house. She looks for the money until she finds it.

When she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours to come. She says, "Be glad with me! I have found the piece of money I lost."

10 I tell you, the angels of God will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things.'

11 Jesus also said, `A man had two sons.

12 The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me my part of what will belong to me." So his father divided all he had between the two sons.

13 After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.

14 He spent everything he had. `There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.

15 So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.

16 He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.

17 `Then he started to get sense. He said, "My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!

18 I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, "Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.

19 I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

20 `So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

21 The son said to him, "Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

22 `But his father said to his servants, "Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.

23 Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.

24 This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to have a good time.

25 `The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 He called one of the servants and said, "What is going on?"

27 The servant said, "Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well."

28 `But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.

29 But the son said to his father, "Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.

30 But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!"

31 `The father said, "Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.

32 But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." '

The Parable of the Lost Sheep(A)

15 Now the tax collectors(B) and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”(C)

Then Jesus told them this parable:(D) “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) And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’(F) 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

“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? 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

  1. Luke 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages