Luke
15
- Now the tax collectors and "sinners"
were all gathering around to hear him.
- But the Pharisees and the teachers of the
law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
- Then Jesus told them this parable:
- "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country
and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
- 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.'
- 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.
- "Or suppose a woman has ten silver
coins and loses one. Does she not 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.'
- In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
- Jesus continued: "There was a man who
had two sons.
- The younger one said to his father, 'Father,
give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
- "Not long after that, the younger son
got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered
his wealth in wild living.
- After he had spent everything, there was
a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
- So he went and hired himself out to a citizen
of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
- He longed to fill his stomach with the pods
that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
- "When he came to his senses, he said,
'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving
to death!
- I will set out and go back to my father
and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
- I am no longer worthy to be called your
son; make me like one of your hired men.'
- 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.
- "The son said to him, 'Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.'
- "But 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.
- Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's
have a feast and celebrate.
- For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
- "Meanwhile, the older son was in the
field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
- So he called one of the servants and asked
him what was going on.
- 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and
your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.'
- "The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
- 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.
- But when this son of yours who has squandered
your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for
him!'
- "'My son,' the father said, 'you are
always with me, and everything I have is yours.
- 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.'"
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