Luke 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. ²And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

³So he told them this parable, saying, ⁴“What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? ⁵And when he^* has found it,^* he places it^* on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he^* returns to his^* home, he calls together his^* friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ ⁷I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?^{* 9}And when she^* has found it,^* she calls together her^* friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost!’ ¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹And he said, “A certain man had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to his^* father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his^* assets between them. ¹³And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and^* went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by^* living wastefully. ¹⁴And after^* he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵And he went and^* hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. ¹⁶And he was longing to fill his stomach with^a the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything^* to him.

¹⁷“But when he^* came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have an abundance of food,^b and I am dying here from hunger! ¹⁸I will set out and^* go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight!^{c 19}I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.’ ²⁰And he set out and^* came to his own father. But while^* he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him^d and kissed him. ²¹And his^* son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight!^e I am no longer worthy to be called your son!’ ²²But his^* father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it^* on him, and put a ring on his finger^f and sandals on his^* feet! ²³And bring the fattened calf—kill it^* and let us eat and^* celebrate, ²⁴because this son of mine was 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 when he came and^* approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he summoned one of the slaves 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 gotten him back healthy.’ ²⁸But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and^* began to implore^* him. ²⁹But he answered and^* said to his father, ‘Behold, so many years I have served you, and have never disobeyed your command! And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! ³⁰But when this son of yours returned—who has consumed your assets with prostitutes—you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹But he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and everything I have belongs to you.^{g 32}But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!’ ”