Luke 15:11-29

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!

²⁴For my son was dead, and now he is alive. He was lost, and now he is found.' Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵Now his older son was out in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶He called to one of the servants and asked what these things might be.

²⁷The servant said to him, 'Your brother has come home and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has returned safely.'

²⁸The older son was angry and would not go in, and his father came out and begged him.

²⁹But the older son answered and said to his father, 'Look, these many years I slaved for you, and I never broke a rule of yours, and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends,