Luke 15
1 The tax collectors and the outcasts were all drawing near to Jesus to listen to him;
Then resorted vnto him all the Publicanes and sinners, to heare him.
2 but the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law found fault. “This man always welcomes outcasts, and takes meals with them!” they complained.
Therefore the Pharises and Scribes murmured, saying, Hee receiueth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 So Jesus told them this parable –
Then spake hee this parable to them, saying,
4 “Who among you who has a hundred sheep, and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine out in the open country, and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
What man of you hauing an hundreth sheepe, if hee lose one of them, doeth not leaue ninetie and nine in the wildernesse, and goe after that which is lost, vntill he finde it?
5 And, when he has found it, he puts in on his shoulders rejoicing;
And when he hath found it, he laieth it on his shoulders with ioye.
6 and, on reaching home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, and says ‘Come and rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’
And when he commeth home, he calleth together his friendes and neighbours, saying vnto them, Reioyce with mee: for I haue founde my sheepe which was lost.
7 So, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one outcast who repents, than over ninety-nine religious people, who have no need to repent.
I say vnto you, that likewise ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth, more then for ninetie and nine iust men, which neede none amendment of life.
8 Or again, 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 until she finds it?
Either what woman hauing ten groates, if she lose one groate, doth not light a candle, and sweepe the house, and seeke diligently till shee finde it?
9 And, when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says ‘Come and rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost.’
And when shee hath found it, shee calleth her friendes, and neighbours, saying, Reioyce with me: for I haue found the groate which I had lost.
10 So, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of God’s angels over one outcast who repents.”
Likewise I say vnto you, there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God, for one sinner that conuerteth.
11 Then Jesus continued, “A man had two sons;
He sayde moreouer, A certaine man had two sonnes.
12 and the younger of them said to his father ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ So the father divided the property between them.
And the yonger of them sayde to his father, Father, giue mee the portion of the goods that falleth to mee. So he deuided vnto them his substance.
13 A few days later the younger son got together all that he had, and went away into a distant land; and there he squandered his inheritance by leading a dissolute life.
So not many daies after, when the yonger sonne had gathered all together, hee tooke his iourney into a farre countrey, and there hee wasted his goods with riotous liuing.
14 After he has spent all that he had, there was a severe famine through all that country, and he began to be in actual want.
Nowe when hee had spent all, there arose a great dearth throughout that land, and he began to be in necessitie.
15 So he went and engaged himself to one of the people of that country, who sent him into his fields to tend pigs.
Then hee went and claue to a citizen of that conntrey, and hee sent him to his farme, to feede swine.
16 He even longed to satisfy his hunger with the bean-pods on which the pigs were feeding; and no one gave him anything.
And hee would faine haue filled his bellie with the huskes, that the swine ate: but no man gaue them him.
17 But, when he came to himself, he said ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more bread than they can eat, while here am I starving to death!
Then he came to him selfe, and said, Howe many hired seruaunts at my fathers haue bread ynough, and I die for hunger?
18 I will get up and go to my father, and say to him “Father, I sinned against heaven and against you;
I wil rise and goe to my father, and say vnto him, Father, I haue sinned against heaue, and before thee,
19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; make me one of your hired servants.”’
And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne: make me as one of thy hired seruants.
20 And he got up and went to his father. But, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was deeply moved; he ran and threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.
So hee arose and came to his father, and when hee was yet a great way off, his father sawe him, and had compassion, and ranne and fell on his necke, and kissed him.
21 ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; make me one of your hired servants.’
And the sonne sayde vnto him, Father, I haue sinned against heauen, and before thee, and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne.
22 But the father turned to his servants and said ‘Be quick and fetch a robe – the very best – and put it on him; give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet;
Then the father said to his seruaunts, Bring foorth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feete,
23 and bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
And bring the fat calfe, and kill him, and let vs eate, and be merie:
24 for here is my son who was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found.’ So they began making merry.
For this my sonne was dead, and is aliue againe: and he was lost, but he is found. And they began to be merie.
25 Meanwhile the elder son was out in the fields; but, on coming home, when he got near the house, he heard music and dancing,
Nowe the elder brother was in the fielde, and when he came and drewe neere to the house, he heard melodie, and dauncing,
26 and he called one of the servants and asked what it all meant.
And called one of his seruaunts, and asked what those things meant.
27 ‘Your brother has come back,’ the servant told him, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’
And hee sayde vnto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatte calfe, because he hath receiued him safe and sound.
28 This made him angry, and he would not go in. But his father came out and begged him to do so.
Then he was angry, and would not goe in: therefore came his father out and entreated him.
29 ‘No,’ he said to his father, ‘look at all the years I have been serving you, without ever once disobeying you, and yet you have never given me even a young goat, so that I might have a party with my friends.
But he answered and said to his father, Loe, these many yeeres haue I done thee seruice, neither brake I at any time thy commadement, and yet thou neuer gauest mee a kidde that I might make merie with my friends.
30 But, no sooner has this son of yours come, who has eaten up your property in the company of prostitutes, than you have killed the fattened calf for him.’
But when this thy sonne was come, which hath deuoured thy good with harlots, thou hast for his sake killed the fat calfe.
31 ‘Child,’ the father answered, ‘you are always with me, and everything that I have is yours.
And he said vnto him, Sonne, thou art euer with me, and al that I haue, is thine.
32 We could but make merry and rejoice, for here is your brother who was dead, and is alive; who was lost, and is found.’”
It was meete that we shoulde make merie, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is aliue againe: and hee was lost, but he is found.
