Luke 15:2–32

²And the Pharisees and the scribes ^agrumbled, saying, ^b“This man receives sinners and ^ceats with them.”

³So he told them this parable: ^4d“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, ^eif he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine ^fin the open country, and ^ggo after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵And when he has found it, ^hhe lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for ⁱI have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who ^jrepents than over ninety-nine ^krighteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,¹ if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy before ^lthe angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me ^mthe share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided ⁿhis property between them. ¹³Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in ^oreckless living. ¹⁴And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to² one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶And he ^pwas longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“But ^qwhen he ^rcame to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, ^sI have sinned against ^theaven and before you. ^19uI am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ ²⁰And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ^vran and ^wembraced him and ^xkissed him. ²¹And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ^uI am no longer worthy to be called your son.’^{3 22}But the father said to his servants,⁴ ‘Bring quickly ^ythe best robe, and put it on him, and put ^za ring on his hand, and ^ashoes on his feet. ²³And bring ^bthe fattened calf and kill it, and ^clet us eat and celebrate. ²⁴For this my son ^dwas dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near 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, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might ^ecelebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came, ^fwho has devoured ^gyour property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹And he said to him, ‘Son, ^hyou are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²It was fitting ^eto celebrate and be glad, for this your brother ⁱwas dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”