New Testament · Gospels and Acts

Luke chapter 15

All the and kept coming close to listen to Jesus.The and the kept grumbling, “This man welcomes people living in failure and actually .”So Jesus told them this story:“Imagine one of you has a hundred and loses one of them. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine out in the and go searching for the lost one until you find it?And when he finds it, he joyfully and goes home. Then he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost sheep!’I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in over one person living in failure who than over ninety-nine people who are already and don’t need to change direction.“Or imagine a woman who has ten and loses one. Wouldn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search carefully until she finds it?And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among God’s over one person living in failure who .”Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons.The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my .’ So the father divided his wealth between them.A few days later, the younger son turned everything he had into cash and left for a , where he threw away his wealth on a .After he had spent everything, a severe hit that whole country, and he started to be in desperate need.So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed .He was so hungry he would have gladly filled his stomach with the the pigs were eating, but nobody gave him anything.When he finally , he said, ‘How many of my father’s have more than enough food, and here I am starving to death!I’ll get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I’ve — I’ve failed God and I’ve failed you.I to be called your son anymore. Just treat me like one of your hired workers.’So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was . He to his son, threw his arms around him, and .The son said to him, ‘Father, I’ve — I’ve failed God and I’ve failed you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.’But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the and put it on him. Put a on his finger and on his feet.Bring the and butcher it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate!Because this son of mine was and has come back to life! He was and has been found!’ And they began to celebrate.Now the older son was out in the field. As he came near the house, he heard and .He called one of the servants over and asked what was going on.The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has butchered the fattened calf because he got him back .’The older son was and refused to go in. So his father came out and .But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been for you. I never once disobeyed you. And you never even gave me a so I could celebrate with my friends.But when comes back after devouring your wealth with , you butcher the fattened calf for him!’The father said to him, ‘, you are always with me, and .But we celebrate and be glad, because was dead and has come back to life — he was and has been found.’”