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

And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming nigh to him, to hear him,

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.

and the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying -- This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.'

3 S o He told them this parable:

And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

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?

`What man of you having a hundred sheep, and having lost one out of them, doth not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go on after the lost one, till he may find it?

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

and having found, he doth lay on his shoulders rejoicing,

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.

and having come to the house, he doth call together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep -- the lost one.

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.

`I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.

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?

`Or what woman having ten drachms, if she may lose one drachm, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek carefully till that she may find?

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.

and having found, she doth call together the female friends and the neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I found the drachm that I lost.

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).

`So I say to you, joy doth come before the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.'

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

And he said, `A certain man had two sons,

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.

and the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of the substance falling to, and he divided to them the living.

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.

`And not many days after, having gathered all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he scattered his substance, living riotously;

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.

and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want;

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.

and having gone on, he joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to the fields to feed swine,

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.

and he was desirous to fill his belly from the husks that the swine were eating, and no one was giving to him.

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!

`And having come to himself, he said, How many hirelings of my father have a superabundance of bread, and I here with hunger am perishing!

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.

having risen, I will go on unto my father, and will say to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee,

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

and no more am I worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hirelings.

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].

`And having risen, he went unto his own father, and he being yet far distant, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and having ran he fell upon his neck and kissed him;

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!

and the son said to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy son.

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.

`And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the first robe, and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and sandals for the feet;

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

and having brought the fatted calf, kill, and having eaten, we may be merry,

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.

because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.

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

`And his elder son was in a field, and as, coming, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing,

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

and having called near one of the young men, he was inquiring what these things might be,

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.

and he said to him -- Thy brother is arrived, and thy father did kill the fatted calf, because in health he did receive him back.

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

`And he was angry, and would not go in, therefore his father, having come forth, was entreating him;

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;

and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;

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!

but when thy son -- this one who did devour thy living with harlots -- came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf.

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

`And he said to him, Child, thou art always with me, and all my things are thine;

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!

but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.'