15:4 “If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, doesn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
15:5 When he does find it, he joyfully hoists it onto his shoulders;
15:6 and when he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Come, celebrate with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’
15:7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
15:8 “Another example: what woman, if she has ten drachmas and loses one of these valuable coins, won’t light a lamp, sweep the house and search all over until she finds it?
15:9 And when she does find it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Come, celebrate with me, because I have found the drachma I lost.’
15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among God’s angels when one sinner repents.”
15:12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them.
15:13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living.
15:14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch.
15:15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
15:16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any.
15:17 “At last he came to his senses and said, ‘Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death!
15:18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you;
15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’
15:20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly.
15:21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son — ’
15:22 but his father said to his slaves, ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet;
15:23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration!
15:24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.
15:25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing.
15:26 So he called one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’
15:27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.’
15:28 But the older son became angry and refused to go inside. “So his father came out and pleaded with him.
15:29 ‘Look,’ the son answered, ‘I have worked for you all these years, and I have never disobeyed your orders. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends.
15:30 Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!’
15:31 ‘Son, you are always with me,’ said the father, ‘and everything I have is yours.
15:32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life — he was lost but has been found.’”
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