Luke 15:1-23

¹Tax collectors and other “sinners” often used to come and listen to Jesus.

²As a result the Pharisees and the religious teachers complained, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”

³So Jesus told them this story as an illustration.

⁴“Imagine a man who had a hundred sheep lost one of them. Wouldn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and search for the one that's lost until he finds it?

⁵When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders.

⁶Once he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Come and celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!’

⁷I tell you that there's more joy in heaven over a sinner that repents than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to repent.

⁸Imagine a woman who has ten silver coins, and loses one of them. Wouldn't she light a lamp and sweep the house, carefully searching until she finds it?

⁹When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Come and celebrate with me! I've found the silver coin that I lost.’

¹⁰I tell you there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner that repents.

¹¹Once there was a man who had two sons,” Jesus explained.

¹²“The younger one told his father, ‘Father, give me my inheritance now.’ So the man divided his property between them.

¹³A few days later the younger son packed up what he had and left for a distant country. Here he wasted all his money living a reckless life.

¹⁴After he'd spent everything, the country was hit by a severe famine and he was starving.

¹⁵So he went and took a job with one of the farmers there who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶He was so hungry that he would have eaten even the pig food, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷When he came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘All of my father's workers have more than enough to eat—why am I dying from hunger here?

¹⁸I'm going home to my father! I'll tell him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you.

¹⁹I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Please treat me as one of your hired workers.’

²⁰So he left and went home to his father. Even though he was still far away in the distance, his father saw him coming, and his heart went out to his son. The father ran to his son, hugging and kissing him.

²¹The son said to him, ‘Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²But the father told his servants, ‘Quick—bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

²³Bring the calf we've been fattening and kill it. Let's have a feast to celebrate