Luke 15:1-23

¹Now all the tax-farmers and sinners came near to give ear to him.

²And the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, This man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them.

³And he made a story for them, saying,

⁴What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if one of them gets loose and goes away, will not let the ninety-nine be in the waste land by themselves, and go after the wandering one, till he sees where it is?

⁵And when he has got it again, he takes it in his arms with joy.

⁶And when he gets back to his house, he sends for his neighbours and friends, saying to them, Be glad with me, for I have got back my sheep which had gone away.

⁷I say to you that even so there will be more joy in heaven when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing, than for ninety-nine good men, who have no need of a change of heart.

⁸Or what woman, having ten bits of silver, if one bit has gone from her hands, will not get a light, and go through her house, searching with care till she sees it?

⁹And when she has it again, she gets her friends and neighbours together, saying, Be glad with me, for I have got back the bit of silver which had gone from me.

¹⁰Even so, I say to you, There is joy among the angels of God, when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing.

¹¹And he said, A certain man had two sons:

¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them.

¹³And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living.

¹⁴And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need.

¹⁵And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food.

¹⁶And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food!

¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes:

¹⁹I am no longer good enough to be named your son: make me like one of your servants.

²⁰And he got up and went to his father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with pity for him and went quickly and took him in his arms and gave him a kiss.

²¹And his son said to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes: I am no longer good enough to be named your son.

²²But the father said to his servants, Get out the first robe quickly, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet:

²³And get the fat young ox and put it to death, and let us have a feast, and be glad.