Luke 15:1–3

The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin

15:1 Now all the tax collectors1 and sinners were coming2 to hear him. 15:2 But3 the Pharisees4 and the experts in the law5 were complaining,6 “This man welcomes7 sinners and eats with them.”

15:3 So8 Jesus9 told them10 this parable:11

1	sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
2	tn Grk “were drawing near.”
3	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
4	sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
5	tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
6	tn Or “grumbling”; Grk “were complaining, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
7	tn Or “accepts,” “receives.” This is not the first time this issue has been raised: Luke 5:27–32; 7:37–50.
8	tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.
9	tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10	sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.
11	tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.