1 Now a slew of tax collectors and other notorious sinners were gathering near Jesus to listen to him, 2 and both the Pharisees and the Torah-experts were voicing their disapproval. “This man,” they complained, “welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

3 Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and of the flock loses one—surely he is going to leave the other ninety-nine behind in the open pasture and go looking for the lost one until he finds it, isn’t he? Of course! 5 And when he finds it, he places it on his shoulders joyfully, 6 and on reaching the house, calls together his friends and his neighbors. ‘Rejoice with me,’ he says to them, ‘for I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell ᵖyou this: In the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need to repent.

8 “Or suppose a woman has some silver coins, each worth a day’s wages, ten of them, and she loses one. She is going to light a lamp and sweep the house and search diligently until she finds it, isn’t she? Of course! 9 And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I lost!” 10 In the same way, I tell ᵖyou, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

11 Then Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the family estate that will belong to me.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons. 13 A few days later, the younger son sold his part of the property and set out on a journey to a distant country, where he wasted his money in wild living. 14 After he had squandered everything, a severe famine developed throughout that country, and he found himself in need. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to look after the pigs. 16 He was so hungry that he would have gladly filled his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. 17 Finally, when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, while here I am about to starve to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against ˢyou. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son. Please treat me like one of your hired workers.’ 20 So he set out and went back home to his father.

“Now while he was still way off in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. Running up to him, he threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “ ‘Father,’ the son said to him, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

22 “The father, however, said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 And bring the prized calf! Slaughter it, and let’s have a feast and celebrate! 24 For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and has been found!’ And so they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, his older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 Summoning one of the slaves, he asked him, ‘What in the world is going on?’

27 “ ‘It’s your brother!’ the slave replied. ‘He has returned, and your father had us slaughter the prized calf, because he received his son back safe and sound.’

28 “At that, the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father, then, came out and began to plead with him.

29 “ ‘Listen,’ he answered his father, ‘I have been working like a slave for ˢyou for so many years, and I’ve never disobeyed a command of ˢyours. To me, however, ˢyou have never given so much as a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Upon the return, however, of this son of ˢyours, who has wasted all your property on prostitutes, you slaughter for him the prized calf!’

31 “ ‘Son,’ the father replied, ‘ˢyou have been here with me always, and to ˢyou belongs indeed everything I own. 32 Yet we just had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of ˢyours was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and has been found!’ ”