Luke 15:11–32

¹¹And 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 property that falls to me. And he divided to them what he was possessed of. ¹³And after not many days the younger son gathering all together went away into a country a long way off, and there dissipated his property, living in debauchery. ¹⁴But when he had spent all there arose a violent famine throughout that country, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he longed to fill his belly with the husks which the swine were eating; and no one gave to him. ¹⁷And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have abundance of bread, and I perish here by famine. ¹⁸I will rise up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰And he rose up and went to his own father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck, and covered him with kisses. ²¹And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son. ²²But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; ²³and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry: ²⁴for this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found. And they began to make merry. ²⁵And his elder son was in the field; and as, coming up, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And having called one of the servants, he inquired what these things might be. ²⁷And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well. ²⁸But he became angry and would not go in. And his father went out and besought him. ²⁹But he answering said to his father, Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends: ³⁰but when this thy son, who has devoured thy substance with harlots, is come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. ³¹But he said to him, Child, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. ³²But it was right to make merry and rejoice, because this thy brother was dead and has come to life again, and was lost and has been found.