New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

1Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.

2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

2Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

3So Jesus told them this story:

3So He told them this parable, saying,

4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

4"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.

5"When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

6"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Parable of the Lost Coin

7"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?

8"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’

9"When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'

10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Parable of the Lost Son

10"In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.

11And He said, "A man had two sons.

12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

12"The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

13"And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

14"Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

15"So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

16"And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!

17"But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,

18'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

20"So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’

21"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.

22"But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,

23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,

25"Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on.

26"And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

27"And 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.'

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,

28"But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.

29"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.

31"And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org