1 N ow the tax collectors and '> especially wicked] sinners were all coming near to to listen to Him.

Or tutti i Pubblicani e i peccatori, si accostavano a lui per udirlo.

2 A nd the Pharisees and the scribes kept muttering and indignantly complaining, saying, This man accepts and receives and welcomes '> preeminently wicked] sinners and eats with them.

E i farisei e gli scribi mormoravano, dicendo: «Costui accoglie i peccatori e mangia con loro».

3 S o He told them this parable:

Allora egli disse loro questa parabola:

4 W hat man of you, if he has a hundred sheep and should lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness (desert) and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?

«Qual uomo fra voi, se ha cento pecore e ne perde una, non lascia le novantanove nel deserto e non va dietro alla perduta finché non la ritrova?

5 A nd when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

E quando la ritrova, se la mette sulle spalle tutto contento;

6 A nd when he gets home, he summons together friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost.

e, giunto a casa, convoca gli amici e i vicini e dice loro: "Rallegratevi con me perché ho ritrovato la mia pecora che era perduta

7 T hus, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one '> especially] wicked person who repents ( changes his mind, abhorring his errors and misdeeds, and determines to enter upon a better course of life) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.

Io vi dico che allo stesso modo vi sarà in cielo piú gioia per un solo peccatore che si ravvede, che per novantanove giusti che non hanno bisogno di ravvedimento.

8 O r what woman, having ten drachmas, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it?

O quale donna, se ha dieci dramme, e ne perde una, non accende la lampada, non spazza la casa e non cerca accuratamente finché non la ritrova?

9 A nd when she has found it, she summons her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the silver coin which I had lost.

E quando l'ha trovata, chiama insieme le amiche e le vicine, dicendo: "Rallegratevi con me, perché ho ritrovato la dramma che avevo perduta".

10 E ven so, I tell you, there is joy among and in the presence of the angels of God over one '> especially] wicked person who repents ( changes his mind for the better, heartily amending his ways, with abhorrence of his past sins).

Allo stesso modo vi dico, vi sarà gioia presso gli angeli di Dio per un solo peccatore che si ravvede».

11 A nd He said, There was a certain man who had two sons;

Disse ancora: «Un uomo aveva due figli.

12 A nd the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the property that falls. And he divided the estate between them.

Il piú giovane di loro disse al padre: "Padre, dammi la parte dei beni che mi spetta". E il padre divise fra loro i beni.

13 A nd not many days after that, the younger son gathered up all that he had and journeyed into a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and loose living.

Pochi giorni dopo il figlio piú giovane, raccolta ogni cosa, se ne andò in un paese lontano e là dissipò le sue sostanze vivendo dissolutamente.

14 A nd when he had spent all he had, a mighty famine came upon that country, and he began to fall behind and be in want.

Ma quando ebbe speso tutto, in quel paese sopraggiunse una grave carestia ed egli cominciò ad essere nel bisogno.

15 S o he went and forced (glued) himself upon one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed hogs.

Allora andò a mettersi con uno degli abitanti di quel paese, che lo mandò nei suoi campi a pascolare i porci.

16 A nd he would gladly have fed on and filled his belly with the carob pods that the hogs were eating, but nobody gave him anything.

Ed egli desiderava riempire il ventre con le carrube che i porci mangiavano, ma nessuno gliene dava.

17 T hen when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have enough food, and to spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger!

Allora, rientrato in sé, disse: "Quanti lavoratori salariati di mio padre hanno pane in abbondanza, io invece muoio di fame!

18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

Mi leverò e andrò da mio padre, e gli dirò: Padre, ho peccato contro il cielo e davanti a te

19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.

non sono piú degno di essere chiamato tuo figlio; trattami come uno dei tuoi lavoratori salariati

20 S o he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him '> fervently].

Egli dunque si levò e andò da suo padre. Ma mentre era ancora lontano, suo padre lo vide e ne ebbe compassione; corse, gli si gettò al collo e lo baciò.

21 A nd the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son!

E il figlio gli disse: "Padre, ho peccato contro il cielo e davanti a te e non sono piú degno di essere chiamato tuo figlio".

22 B ut the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet.

Ma il padre disse ai suoi servi: "Portate qui la veste piú bella e rivestitelo, mettetegli un anello al dito e dei sandali ai piedi.

23 A nd bring out that fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry,

Portate fuori il vitello ingrassato e ammazzatelo; mangiamo e rallegriamoci,

24 B ecause this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry.

perché questo mio figlio era morto ed è tornato in vita, era perduto ed è stato ritrovato". E si misero a fare grande festa.

25 B ut his older son was in the field; and as he returned and came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

Or il suo figlio maggiore era nei campi; e come ritornava e giunse vicino a casa, udí la musica e le danze.

26 A nd having called one of the servant to him, he began to ask what this meant.

Chiamato allora un servo, gli domandò cosa fosse tutto ciò.

27 A nd he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed that fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and well.

E quello gli disse: "E' tornato tuo fratello e tuo padre ha ammazzato il vitello ingrassato, perché lo ha riavuto sano salvo".

28 B ut was angry and resolved not to go in. Then his father came out and began to plead with him,

Udito ciò, egli si adirò e non volle entrare; allora suo padre uscí e lo pregava di entrare.

29 B ut he answered his father, Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a kid, that I might revel and feast and be happy and make merry with my friends;

Ma egli, rispose al padre e disse: "Ecco, son già tanti anni che io ti servo e non ho mai trasgredito alcun tuo comandamento, eppure non mi hai mai dato un capretto per far festa con i miei amici.

30 B ut when this son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you have killed for him that fattened calf!

Ma quando è tornato questo tuo figlio, che ha divorato i tuoi beni con le meretrici, tu hai ammazzato per lui il vitello ingrassato

31 A nd the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

Allora il padre gli disse: "Figlio, tu sei sempre con me, e ogni cosa mia è tua.

32 B ut it was fitting to make merry, to revel and feast and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!

Ma si doveva fare festa e rallegrarsi perché questo tuo fratello era morto ed è tornato in vita, era perduto ed è stato ritrovato"».