Luke 15
1 Many [HYP] tax collectors and [others whom people considered to be] habitual sinners kept coming to Jesus to listen to him teach.
Now, all the publicans and the sinners resorted to Jesus, to hear him.
2 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!”
But the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying, This man admits sinners, and eats with them.
3 So Jesus told them this parable:
Then he addressed this similitude to them:
4 “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]
What man, amongst you, who has a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, to go after that which is lost, till he find it?
5 When you [(sg)] found it, you would put it on your shoulders and be happy.
And having found it, does he not joyfully lay it on his shoulders,
6 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!’
and when he is come home, convene his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost?
7 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.
Thus, I assure you, there is greater joy in heaven for one sinner who reforms, than for ninety-nine righteous persons, who need no reformation.
8 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]
Or what woman, who has ten drachmas, if she lose one, does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search carefully till she find it?
9 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!’
And having found it, does she not assemble her female friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!
10 I tell you that similarly the angels will be happy about [even just] one sinner who turns from doing evil.”
Such joy, I assure you, have the angels of God, when any sinner reforms.
11 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.
He said, also, A certain man had two sons.
12 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.
and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me my portion of the estate. And he allotted to them their shares.
13 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.
Soon after, the younger son gathered all together, and traveled into a distant country, and there wasted his substance in riot.
14 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.
When all was spent, a great famine came upon that land, and he began to be in want.
15 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.
Then he applied to one of the inhabitants of the country, who sent him into his fields to keep swine.
16 [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.
And he desired to appease his hunger with the husks on which the swine were feeding; for no person gave him anything.
17 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]!
At length, coming to himself, he said, How many hirelings has my father, who have all more bread than suffices them, while I perish with hunger!
18 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)].
I will arise, and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and you,
19 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.”’
and am no longer worthy to be called your son.
20 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].
And he arose, and went to his father. When he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and threw himself upon his neck, and kissed him.
21 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.’
And the son said, Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.
22 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]!
But the father said to his servants, Bring here the principal robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet:
23 Then bring the fat calf and kill it [and cook it]. We [(inc)] must eat and celebrate,
bring also the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry;
24 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.
for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. So they began to be merry.
25 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.
Now his elder son was in the field, walking home. And as he drew near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening.
He, therefore, called one of the servants, and asked the reason of this.
27 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.’
He answered, Your brother is returned, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him in health.
28 [But] the older brother was angry. He refused to enter [the house]. So his father came out and pleaded with him [to come in].
And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore, his father came out, and entreated him.
29 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.
He answering, said to his father, These many years I have served you, without disobeying your command in anything; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might entertain my friends;
30 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!’
but no sooner did this, your son, return, who had squandered your living on prostitutes, than you killed for him the fatted calf.
31 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.
Son, replied the father, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours:
32 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!’”
it was but reasonable that we should rejoice and be merry; because this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
