< 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.
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!”
3 So Jesus told them this parable:
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]
5 When you [(sg)] found it, you would put it on your shoulders and be happy.
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!’
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.
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]
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!’
10 I tell you that similarly the angels will be happy about [even just] one sinner who turns from doing evil.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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]!
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)].
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.”’
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].
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.’
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]!
23 Then bring the fat calf and kill it [and cook it]. We [(inc)] must eat and celebrate,
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.
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.
26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening.
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.’
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].
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.
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!’
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.
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!’”
