| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. | 1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. |
| 2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! | 2But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." |
| 3So Jesus told them this story: | 3So 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"Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for 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. | 5Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. |
| 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ | 6Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.' |
| 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 | 7I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no 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? | 8"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly 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.’ | 9Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' |
| 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, "A man 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 of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.' So he divided his assets 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 gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. |
| 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. | 14Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in 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 worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed 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 was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. |
| 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! | 17But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! |
| 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 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; treat me like one of your hired workers."' |
| 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 a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son 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. ’ | 21Then his son said to him, '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 slaves, 'Hurry! 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 eat 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. | 24because 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, | 25"Now his older son was in the field. As he came and 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 slaves and asked what was happening. |
| 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ | 27The slave replied, 'Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.' |
| 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, | 28But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to 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! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that 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 came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed 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. | 31Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me 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!’” | 32It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.'" |
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