< Luke 15 >
1 Now all the tax-gatherers and sinners continued to draw near him, and to listen to him.
2 And the Pharisees and Scribes began to complain, saying, "He is welcoming sinners and eating with them!"
3 And he told them a parable.
4 "Which one of you men, if he has a hundred sheep, and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
5 "And after he has found it, he lays it on his shoulder, rejoicing.
6 "When he gets home he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
7 "I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.
8 "Or, again, suppose a woman has ten coins. If she loses one, does she not light a lamp and sweep the house, and search anxiously until she finds it?
9 "And when she has found it, she calls together her woman friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’
10 "Even so I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels for God over one sinner who repents."
11 And he said. "There was a man who had two sons.
12 "The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your property which is coming to me.’ So he divided his means among them.
13 "Not many days after that the younger son gathered everything together and took his journey into a distant country; and there he wasted his money on living unsavingly.
14 "After he had spent everything there came a terrible famine in the land, and he began to be in want.
15 "So he went and hired to one of the citizens of that land, who sent him out into the fields to feed swine.
16 "And he was longing to be filled with the husks which the swine were eating, but no one gave him any.
17 "When he came to himself he said. "‘How many of my father’s hired men have bread enough and to spare, while I am perishing of hunger!
18 "‘I will rise and go to my father, and say to him. "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight,
19 "‘"I am no more worthy to be called your son; only make me like one of your hired men."‘
20 "So he arose and went to his father; but while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and am no more worthy to be called your son.’
22 "‘Fetch the best robe, quick,’ said the father to his slaves, ‘and put it on him, and give him a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet.
23 "‘Bring that fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry,
24 "‘for this son of mine was dead and is alive again - he was lost and is found.’
25 "So they began to make merry. But his elder son was in the field, and as he drew near to the house he heard music and dancing,
26 "and he summoned one of the slaves, and began to inquire of him what all this meant.
27 "‘Your brother is come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has him safe and sound.’
28 "But he was angry and would not go in; so his father came out, and attempted to plead with him; but he said to his father.
29 "‘All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed a command of yours. Yet you never gave me even a kid so that I might make merry with my friends.
30 "‘But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with harlots, you have killed him the fatted calf.’
31 "‘My dear son,’ answered his father, ‘you are always with me and all that is mine is yours.
32 "‘But it was fitting that we should make merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found.’"
