⁴What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after that which was lost, until he find it?

⁵And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing?

⁶And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?

⁷I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

⁸Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it?

⁹And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost.

¹⁰So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.

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

¹²And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance.

¹³And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously.

¹⁴And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want.

¹⁵And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine.

¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

¹⁷And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father’s house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger!

¹⁸I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.

¹⁹I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

²⁰And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him.

²¹And the son said to him: Father: I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy son.

²²And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry:

²⁴Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

²⁵Now his elder son was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

²⁷And he said to him: Thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe.

²⁸And he was angry and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him.

²⁹And he answering, said to his father: Behold, for so many years do I serve thee and I have never transgressed thy commandment: and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends.

³⁰But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

³¹But he said to him: Son, thou art always with me; and all I have is thine.

³²But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found.

Chapter 16

And he said also to his disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods.

²And he called him and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer.

³And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am ashamed.

⁴I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

⁵Therefore, calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord?

⁶But he said: An hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.

⁷Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill and write eighty.

⁸And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.

⁹And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity: that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.

¹⁰He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in that which is greater: and he that is unjust in that which is little is unjust also in that which is greater.

¹¹If then you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who will trust you with that which is the true?

¹²And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

¹³No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other: or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

¹⁴Now the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

¹⁵And he said to them: you are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is high to men is an abomination before God.

¹⁶The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the kingdom of God is preached: and every one useth violence towards it.

¹⁷And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fall.

¹⁸Every one that putteth away his wife and marrieth another committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

¹⁹There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day.

²⁰And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,

²¹Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. And no one did give him: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.

²³And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom:

²⁴And he cried and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.

²⁶And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, nor from thence come hither.

²⁷And he said: Then, father, I beseech thee that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren,

²⁸That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments.

²⁹And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them.

³⁰But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance.

³¹And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.

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