Luke 15:1-16

¹Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to Him to hear Him.

²And the Pharisees and scribes were grumbling, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

³And He told them this parable, saying,

⁴“What man among you, having a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and goes after the one which is lost until he finds it?

⁵And having found it, he puts it on his own shoulders, rejoicing.

⁶And coming into the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

⁷I say to you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.

⁸“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

⁹And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost!’

¹⁰Just so, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

¹¹Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.

¹²And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give to me the share of the wealth which falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

¹³And not many days after, having gathered together all things, the younger son went on a journey to a distant country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

¹⁴But when he had spent everything, there arose a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁶And he was longing to fill his stomach with the carob pods which the swine were eating, and no one gave him anything.