New International Version | New Living Translation |
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. | 1Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. |
2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." | 2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! |
3Then Jesus told them this parable: | 3So Jesus told them this story: |
4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? | 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? |
5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders | 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. |
6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' | 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ |
7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. | 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 |
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? | 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? |
9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' | 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.’ |
10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." | 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 |
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. | 11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. |
12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. | 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. |
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. | 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. |
14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. | 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. |
15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. | 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. |
16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. | 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. |
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! | 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! |
18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. | 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, |
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' | 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ |
20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. | 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. |
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' | 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. ’ |
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. | 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. |
23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. | 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, |
24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to 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. |
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. | 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, |
26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. | 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. |
27Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' | 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ |
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. | 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, |
29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. | 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. |
30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' | 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ |
31"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. | 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. |
32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" | 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!’” |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | 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. |
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