Luke 15
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
Many [HYP] tax collectors and [others whom people considered to be] habitual sinners kept coming to Jesus to listen to him teach.
2 The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”
The Pharisees and men who taught the [Jewish] laws [who were there] [SYN] began to grumble, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and he also [defiles himself by eating] with them!”
3 He told them this parable:
So Jesus told them this parable:
4 “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?
“Suppose that one of you had 100 sheep. If one of them were lost, (you [(sg)] would certainly leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it./would you not leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it?) [RHQ]
5 When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
When you [(sg)] found it, you would put it on your shoulders and be happy.
6 When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
When you brought it home, you would call together your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’
7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
I tell you [(pl)] that similarly [God] will be very happy about each and every sinner who turns from doing evil. God is not happy about 99 people who [think that they] are [IRO] righteous and think that they do not need to turn from doing evil.
8 “Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
Or, suppose that a woman has ten [very valuable] silver coins. If she loses one of them, (she will certainly light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it!/will she not light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it?) [RHQ]
9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’
When she finds it, she will call together her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me, [because] I have found the coin that I lost!’
10 Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”
I tell you that similarly the angels will be happy about [even just] one sinner who turns from doing evil.”
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons.
Then [Jesus told them this parable to compare what the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish law thought about those who turn from their sinful behavior with what God thinks about such people]. He said, “A certain man had two sons.
12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.
One day the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, [I do not want to wait until you(sg) die]. Give me now the share of your property that belongs to me!’ So the man divided his property between his two sons.
13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and travelled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
A few days later, the younger son [sold his share]. He gathered his money and other things together and went to a country far away. There he spent all his money foolishly in reckless/wild living.
14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
After he had spent all his money, there was a great famine throughout that country. And soon he did not have enough [food to] eat.
15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
So he went to one of the landowners in that area and asked for work. The man sent him to work taking care of the pigs in his field.
16 He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
[Because he was very hungry], he would have been glad to eat the bean pods that the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything to eat.
17 But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!
Finally he thought clearly about what he had done. He said to himself, ‘All of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food! They have more [SYN] than they can eat, but here I am dying because I do not have anything to eat [HYP]!
18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.
So I will leave here and go back to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God [MTY, EUP] and against you [(sg)].
19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’
I am no longer worthy to be called {of [you] calling me} your son. Just hire me to be like one of the other hired servants.”’
20 “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.
So he left there and went back to his father’s house. But while he was still some distance from the house, his father saw him. He pitied him. He ran to his son and embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek].
21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God [MTY/EUP] and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called {of [you] calling me} your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
But his father said to his servants, ‘Go quickly and bring to me the best robe [in the house]! Then put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger [to show that I am honoring him again as my son]! Put sandals on his feet [to show that I do not consider him to be a slave]!
23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;
Then bring the fat calf and kill it [and cook it]. We [(inc)] must eat and celebrate,
24 for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
because my son has returned! [It is as though] [MET] he was dead and is alive again! [It is as though] he was lost and now has been found!’ So they did that, and they all began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
While all that was happening, the man’s older son was out [working] in the field. When he came near to the house, he heard [people playing] music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.
He called one of the servants and asked what was happening.
27 He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’
The servant said to him, ‘Your [younger] brother has come [home] Your father has [told us to] kill the fat calf [to celebrate] because your brother has returned safe and healthy.’
28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.
[But] the older brother was angry. He refused to enter [the house]. So his father came out and pleaded with him [to come in].
29 But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
But he replied to his father, ‘Listen to me! For many years I have worked for you like a slave. I always obeyed everything you told me to do. But you never even gave me a young goat, so that I could [kill it and cook it and] celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
But this son of yours spent all the [money he got from] what you gave him. He spent it [to pay for sleeping with] prostitutes! Yes, now he has returned home, [but it is not fair that] you have told your [servants] to kill the fat calf [and cook it] for him!’
31 “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
But his father said to him, ‘My son, you have always been with me, and all my property [that I did not give to your brother] has been yours.
32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”
But [it is as though] [MET] your brother was dead and is alive again! [It is as though] he was lost and now he has been found! So it is appropriate for us to be happy and celebrate!’”
