The New Testament

The New Testament › Luke

Luke 15

1All the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to him. 2Both the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable:

4“Which person among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5When he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6Coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that 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 of repentance.

8“Or what woman, having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9When she finds it, she calls together her women friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma I lost.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy before God's angels over one sinner who repents.”

11He said, “A man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and traveled to a distant country. There he scattered his property by living recklessly. 14When he had spent everything, a severe famine came over that country, and he began to be in need. 15He went and attached himself to one of that country's citizens, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. 17Coming to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired workers have bread to spare, while I am perishing here from hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’

20“He got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. He ran, fell upon his neck, and kissed him warmly. 21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and clothe him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate, 24because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25“His older son was in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26Calling one of the servants, he asked what this might be. 27He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has received him back in good health.’ 28He became angry and would not go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Look, for so many years I have slaved for you and never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who devoured your livelihood with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him!’ 31He said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Translation notes 5

15:4–10 — Lost and found. The shepherd's friends and neighbors are grammatically masculine; the woman's are feminine. Both scenes lead to joy over a sinner's repentance. The ninety-nine's lack of need is left as the saying presents it, without adding an explanation of whether it is ironic. A drachma was a silver coin.

15:12–16 — Livelihood and scattering. The father divides his resources between both sons. “Livelihood” renders a word also meaning life or means of living. The younger son's scattering of property anticipates the manager's wasting in 16:1. The pods are commonly understood as carob pods; the reading does not add their name or a modern nutritional claim.

15:17–21 — Coming to himself and returning. The expression means recovering one's senses or recognizing one's situation. “Heaven” stands for God without being replaced in the confession. In the base, the spoken confession stops before the request to become a hired worker; some witnesses add that request here from the rehearsal in verse 19. The narrative does not explicitly say that the father interrupted him.

15:20, 22–24 — Welcome. Falling upon someone's neck describes an embrace. Slaves and hired workers are different household categories. The robe, ring, sandals, and feast express welcome without an added explanation of each item's legal significance.

15:29–32 — Two sons. “Slaved” retains the older son's description of his service. His allegation about prostitutes is his speech, not an earlier detail supplied by the narrator. The father answers “this son of yours” with “this brother of yours.” The story leaves the older son's response unstated.