15:1 - He gathered the sinners together so that he could speak to them.
15:2 - The Pharisees and scribes all grumbled and said, This man keeps company with sinners and even eats with them.
15:3 - And he told them this story, saying,
15:4 - As Christians, would it not be better to spread the Word to those who do not know it so that they may be saved?
15:5 - When he found it, he put it on his shoulders, celebrating.
15:6 - When he got home, he gathered together all his friends and neighbors. He told them, Let’s celebrate for I have found the one that was lost.
15:7 - It’s true that there will be more happiness in heaven when one sinner repents than over the ninety nine who don’t need to repent.
15:8 - Even if a woman has ten pieces of silver, if she lost one, wouldn’t she do everything she could to find it?
15:9 - When she found it, she gathered together all her friends and neighbors. She told them, Celebrate with me, for I have found the piece I had lost.
15:10 - I will also tell you that for every sinner that repents there will be the great joy of being with God’s angels.
15:11 - And he said, That man in particular had two sons:
15:12 - Then the younger of the two said to his father: Father, give me the part of your possessions that I have coming to me. And so he divided his belongings.
15:13 - A few days after his younger son collected all his belongings, and started his journey into a far away country and wasted all his substance with noisy and violent living.
15:14 - After he spent everything, a famine spread across the land; and he began to want for things.
15:15 - He joined a member of the country and sent him to feed his pigs.
15:16 - And he would have been willing to eat the same husks as the pigs, but nobody gave anything to him.
15:17 - He thought to himself, How many of my Dad’s servants have plenty to eat and I am starving?
15:18 - I will get up now and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, in your very presence I have sinned against heaven,
15:19 - I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Instead, treat me as a hired servant.
15:20 - He stood up and walked towards his father. When he was still a distance away his father saw him and ran the rest of the way and fell onto him and kissed him.
15:21 - His son came to him and said, Dad, I have wronged God and don’t deserve to be called your son.
15:22 - But his father told the servants, Go and get the best robe for him to wear; and place a ring on his finger, and put shoes on his feet.
15:23 - Bring the generous calf here and kill it; we will eat and be joyous.
15:24 - Just today, my child was not living, and now he has come back to life; he was lost, but now we have found him. And then they started rejoicing.
15:25 - His oldest son was outside, returning to the house. As he did so he heard the sound of music and dancing from within.
15:26 - He called one of the servants, asking the meaning of all these things.
15:27 - The man said to another man, My brother has appeared; My dad has slaughtered the fat baby cow, he has obtained him safely and well.
15:28 - He was angry and wouldn’t go inside, so his father came outside and tried to get him to come in.
15:29 - And he answered his father, all these many years I have served you, I have always followed your rules: but you have never given me a kid, so that I could celebrate with my friends:
15:30 - But when your son came, which had been eaten because you were living with harlots, you killed him for the fat cow.
15:31 - He said, Son, you are always with me and whatever I have is also yours.
15:32 - It is good that we are happy and having a party: For I thought your brother was dead and he is alive; and he was lost and now I have found him.