1   Another time, the tax-gatherers and other bad characters were all crowding in to listen to him; 2   and the Pharisees and the doctors of the law began grumbling among themselves: ‘This fellow’, they said, ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ 3   He answered them with this parable: 4   ‘If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the missing one until he has found it? 5   How delighted he is then! 6   He lifts it on to his shoulders, and home he goes to call his friends and neighbours together. “Rejoice with me!” he cries. “I have found my lost sheep.” 7   In the same way, I tell you, there will be greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

8   ‘Or again, if a woman has ten silver pieces and loses one of them, does she not light the lamp, sweep out the house, and look in every corner till she has found it? 9   And when she has, she calls her friends and neighbours together, and says, “Rejoice with me! I have found the piece that I lost.” 10   In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’

11    12   Again he said: ‘There was once a man who had two sons; and the younger said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the property.” 13   So he divided his estate between them. A few days later the younger son turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living. 14   He had spent it all, when a severe famine fell upon that country and he began to feel the pinch. 15   So he went and attached himself to one of the local landowners, who sent him on to his farm to mind the

Journeys and encounters pigs. 16   He would have been glad to fill his belly with ^note the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17   Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father's paid servants have more food than they can eat, and here am I, starving to death! 18   I will set off and go to my father, and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; 19   I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.’” 20   So he set out for his father's house. But while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and his heart went out to him. He ran to meet him, flung his arms round him, and kissed him. 21   The son said, “Father, I have sinned, against God and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son.” ^note 22   But the father said to his servants, “Quick! fetch a robe, my best one, and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23   Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us have a feast to celebrate the day. 24   For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And the festivities began.

25   ‘Now the elder son was out on the farm; and on his way back, as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26   He called one of the servants and asked what it meant. 27   The servant told him, “Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and sound.” 28   But he was angry and refused to go in. 29   His father came out and pleaded with him; but he retorted, “You know how I have slaved for you all these years; I never once disobeyed your orders; and you never gave me so much as a kid, for a feast with my friends. 30   But now that this son of yours turns up, after running through your money with his women, you kill the fatted calf for him.” 31   “My boy,” said the father, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32   How could we help celebrating this happy day? Your brother here was dead and has come back to life, was lost and is found.”’

Previous section

Next section