1 Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and other notorious sinners, to hear Him.
2 And the pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man entertaineth wicked persons, and eateth with them.
3 But He spake to them this parable,
4 saying, What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and loseth one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine in the field, and go after that which was lost, till he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing:
6 and coming home, he calleth his friends and neighbors together and saith unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 Thus, I tell you, there shall be joy in heaven over one repenting sinner, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons, that have no need of repentance.
8 Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search carefully till she find it?
9 and when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and neighbors together; saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Thus, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one repenting sinner.
11 And He said, a certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father,
12 Father, give me the portion that falleth to my share. And he divided his substance between them.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together and went abroad into a distant country, and there squandered away his substance by living luxuriously.
14 And when he had spent all, there happen'd a grievous famine in that country, and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and let himself to one of the people of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would gladly have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat: and no man relieved him.
17 But coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I am perishing with hunger?
18 I will rise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee,
19 and am no longer worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he rose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion; and he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 And his son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no longer worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, bring out the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry:
24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again, and was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 But his elder son was out in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing:
26 and he called one of the servants to him, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and well: but he was angry, and would not go in.
28 Therefore his father came out and desired him.
29 But he answered and said to his father, Behold so many years as I serve thee, nor have I ever transgressed thy command, and yet thou hast never given me a kid, to be merry with my friends:
30 but as soon as this thy son was come, who hath eaten up thy substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.