LukeChapter 15

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¹All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. ²So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." ³Then Jesus told them this story. ⁴"Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won't he leave the 99 in the field? Won't he go after the lost one until he finds it? ⁵When he finds it, he is full of joy. He puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together. He says, 'Be happy with me! I have found my lost sheep!' ⁷I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There will be more joy over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent.a ⁸Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one of them. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the house? Won't she look carefully until she finds it?b ⁹When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together. She says, 'Be happy with me! I have found my lost coin.' ¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in front of God's angels over one sinner who repents." ¹¹Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the family property.' So the father divided his property between his two sons. ¹³A few days later, the younger son packed up all he had. He went on a trip to a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living. ¹⁴He spent everything he had. Then a terrible famine spread over that whole country. And he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and got a job working for a man who lived in that country. The man sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He wished he could fill his stomach with the pods the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. ¹⁷At last he came to his senses. He said, 'My father's hired workers have more than enough food. But here I am, starving to death! ¹⁸I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers."' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His father was filled with love and pity for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. ²¹The son said, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.' ²²But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead, and now he is alive again! He was lost, and now he is found!' So they began to celebrate. ²⁵Meanwhile, the older son was out in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants. He asked him what was going on. ²⁷The servant said, 'Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and well.' ²⁸The older brother became angry and would not go in. So his father went out and begged him to come in. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've worked for you like a slave. I've never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But this son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. Now he comes home, and you kill the fattened calf for him!' ³¹The father said, 'My son, you are always with me. Everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead, and now he is alive again. He was lost, and now he is found.'"