Luke 15:1-23

¹Now all the tax collectors and other sinners were coming to Jesus to listen to him.

²Both the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled to each other, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and even eats with them.”

³Jesus spoke this parable to them, saying,

⁴“Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and then loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the lost one until he finds it?

⁵Then when he has found it, he lays it across his shoulders and rejoices.

⁶When he comes to the house, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.'

⁷I say to you that even so, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

⁸Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she were to lose one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she has found it?

⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost.'

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

¹¹Then Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons,

¹²and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of the wealth that falls to me.' So he divided his property between them.

¹³Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he owned and went to a country far away, and there he wasted all his wealth by living recklessly.

¹⁴Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine spread through that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶He would gladly have eaten the carob pods that the pigs ate, because no one gave him anything.

¹⁷But when the young son came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough food, and I am here, dying from hunger!

¹⁸I will leave here and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.”'

²⁰So the young son left and came toward his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and he ran and embraced him and kissed him.

²¹The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

²²The father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet.

²³Then bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us celebrate with a feast!