| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. | 1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus. |
| 2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! | 2So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” |
| 3So Jesus told them this story: | 3Then Jesus told them this parable: |
| 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 loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? |
| 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. | 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, |
| 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ | 6comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ |
| 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 | 7In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent. |
| 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? | 8Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her 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.’ | 9And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’ |
| 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 | 10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” |
| 11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. | 11Then Jesus said, “There was a man who 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. | 12The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property 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. | 13After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. |
| 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. | 14After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. |
| 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. | 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. |
| 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. | 16He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing. |
| 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! | 17Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! |
| 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, | 18I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. |
| 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 like one of your hired servants.” ’ |
| 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. | 20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, 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. ’ | 21The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 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. | 22But 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. |
| 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, | 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast 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 is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So 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, | 25Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. |
| 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. | 26So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. |
| 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‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’ |
| 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, | 28The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded 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. | 29But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could 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 returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill 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‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘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 it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” |
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