1 و َكانَ كُلُّ جامِعِي الضَّرائِبِ وَالخُطاةِ مُعتادِينَ عَلَى التَّجَمُّعِ حَولَ يَسُوعَ لِيَسمَعُوهُ.

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

2 ف َبَدَأ الفِرِّيسِيُّونَ وَمُعَلِّمُو الشَّرِيعَةِ يَتَذَمَّرُونَ وَيَقولونَ: «هَذا الرَّجُلُ يُرَحِّبُ بِالخُطاةِ وَيَأْكُلُ مَعَهُمْ!»

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

3 ف َرَوَى لَهُمْ يَسُوعُ هَذا المَثَلَ:

And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

4 « لِنَفتَرِضْ أنَّهُ كانَ لِأحَدِكُمْ مِئَةُ خَرُوفٍ فَأضاعَ واحِداً مِنها، أفَلا يَترُكُ التِّسعَةَ وَالتِّسعِينَ الباقِيَةَ فِي الحُقُولِ وَيَذهَبُ وَراءَ الخَرُوفِ الضّائِعِ حَتَّى يَجِدَهُ؟

`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 و َعِندَما يَجِدُهُ، فَإنَّهُ يَضَعُهُ عَلَى كَتِفَيْهِ فَرِحاً.

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

6 و َعِندَما يَأْتِي إلَى البَيتِ، يَدعُو الأصحابَ وَالجِيْرانَ مَعاً، وَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ: ‹ابتَهِجُوا مَعِي. فَقَدْ وَجَدتُ خَرُوفِيَ الضّائِعَ!›

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 أ قُولُ لَكُمْ، هَكَذا تَفرَحُ السَّماءُ بِخاطِئٍ واحِدٍ يَتُوبُ أكثَرَ مِمّا تَفرَحُ بِتِسعَةٍ وَتِسعِينَ بارّاً لا يَحتاجُونَ إلَى التَّوبَةِ.» مَثَلُ الدِّينارِ المَفقود

`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 « أوْ لِنَفتَرِضْ أنَّ لامرَأةٍ عَشْرَةَ دَنانيرٍ، فَأضاعَتْ دِيناراً واحِداً مِنها. أفَلا تُشعِلُ مِصباحاً وَتُكَنِّسُ البَيتَ وَتَبحَثُ عَنهُ بِتَدقِيقٍ حَتَّى تَجِدَهُ؟

`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 و َعِندَما تَجِدُهُ، فَإنَّها تَدعُو صَدِيقاتِها وَجاراتِها مَعاً، وَتَقُولُ لَهُنَّ: ‹ابتَهِجْنَ مَعِي، فَقَدْ وَجَدتُ الدِّينارَ الَّذِي أضَعتُهُ!›

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 أ قُولُ لَكُمْ إنَّهُ هَكَذا يَكُونُ فَرَحٌ أمامَ مَلائِكَةِ اللهِ بِخاطِئٍ واحِدٍ يَتُوبُ.» مَثَلُ الابنِ الضّالّ

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

11 ث ُمَّ قالَ يَسُوعُ: «كانَ لِرَجُلٍ ابنانِ،

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

12 ف َقالَ أصغَرُهُما لِأبِيهِ: ‹يا أبِي، أعطِنِي نَصِيبِي مِنَ أملاكِكَ.› فَقَسَّمَ الأبُ ثَروَتَهُ بَينَ ابنَيهِ.

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 « وَلَمْ تَمضِ أيّامٌ كَثِيرَةٌ حَتَّى جَمَعَ الابنُ الأصغَرُ كُلَّ ما يَخُصُّهُ وَسافَرَ إلَى بَلَدٍ بَعِيدٍ. وَهُناكَ بَدَّدَ كُلَّ مالِهِ فِي حَياةٍ مُستَهتِرَةٍ.

`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 و َبَعدَ أنْ صَرَفَ كُلَّ ما مَعَهُ، أصابَتْ مَجاعَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ ذَلِكَ البَلَدَ فَابْتَدَأ يَحتاجُ.

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

15 ف َذَهَبَ وَعَمِلَ لَدَى واحِدٍ مِنْ أهلِ ذَلِكَ البَلَدِ، فَأرسَلَهُ إلَى حُقُولِهِ لِيَرعَى الخَنازِيرَ.

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 و َكانَ يَتَمَنَّى لَوْ أنَّهُ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يُشبِعَ نَفسَهُ مِنْ نَباتِ الخَرُّوبِ الَّذِي كانَتِ الخَنازِيرُ تَأْكُلُ مِنهُ، لَكِنَّ أحَداً لَمْ يُعطِهِ شَيئاً.

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

17 « فَعادَ إلَى رُشدِهِ وَقالَ: ‹كَمْ مِنْ أجِيرٍ عِندَ أبِي يَشبَعُ وَيَفضُلُ عَنهُ الطَّعامُ، أمّا أنا فَأتَضَوَّرُ جُوعاً هُنا!

`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 س َأقُومُ وَاذْهَبُ إلَى أبِي وَأقُولُ لَهُ: يا أبِي، لَقَدْ أخطَأْتُ إلَى اللهِ وَإلَيكَ،

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 و َلَمْ أعُدْ جَدِيراً بِأنْ أُدعَى ابناً لَكَ، فَاجعَلْنِي كَواحِدٍ مِنَ العامِلِينَ لَدَيكَ.›

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

20 ث ُمَّ قامَ وَذَهَبَ إلَى أبيهِ. عَودَةُ الابنِ الضّال «وَبَينَما كانَ ما يَزالُ بَعِيداً، رَآهُ أبُوهُ، فَامتَلأ حَناناً، وَرَكَضَ إلَيهِ، وَضَمَّهُ بِذِراعَيهِ، وَقَبَّلَهُ.

`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 ف َقالَ الابنُ: ‹يا أبِي، أخطَأْتُ إلَى اللهِ وَإلَيكَ. وَأنا لَمْ أعُدْ جَدِيراً بِأنْ أُدعَى ابناً لَكَ.›

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 « غَيْرَ أنَّ الأبَ قالَ لِعَبيدِهِ: ‹هَيّا! أحضِرُوا أفضَلَ ثَوبٍ وَألبِسُوهُ إيّاهُ، وَضَعُوا خاتَماً فِي يَدِهِ وَحِذاءً فِي قَدَمَيْهِ.

`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 و َأحضِرُوا العِجلَ المُسَمَّنَ، وَاذْبَحُوهُ ودَعُونا نَأْكُلُ وَنَحتَفِلُ!

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

24 ل ِأنَّ ابنِي هَذا كانَ مَيِّتاً فَعادَ إلَى الحَياةِ، وَكانَ ضالاً فَوَجَدتُهُ.› فَبَدَأُوا يَبتَهِجُونَ وَيَحتَفِلُونَ. الابنُ الأكبَر

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

25 « أمّا الابنُ الأكبَرُ فَكانَ فِي الحَقلِ. وَعِندَما جاءَ وَاقتَرَبَ مِنَ البَيتِ سَمِعَ صَوتَ مُوسِيقَى وَرَقصٍ.

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

26 ف َدَعَى واحِداً مِنَ الخُدّامِ وَسَألَهُ عَمّا يَجرِي.

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

27 ف َقالَ لَهُ الخادِمُ: ‹رَجِعَ أخُوكَ، فَذَبَحَ أبُوكَ العِجلَ المُسَمَّنَ لِأنَّهُ عادَ سَلِيماً مُعافَىً.›

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 « فَغَضِبَ الابنُ الأكبَرُ وَلَمْ يَقبَلْ أنْ يَدخُلَ. فَخَرجَ أبُوهُ يَطلُبُ إلَيهِ الدُّخُولَ.

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

29 ف َقالَ لِأبِيهِ: ‹لَقَدْ عَمِلتُ بِجِدٍّ عِندَكَ كُلَّ هَذِهِ السَّنَواتِ، وَلَمْ أعصِ لَكَ أمراً. لَكِنَّكَ لَمْ تُعطِنِي حَتَّى جَدياً لِكَي أحتَفِلَ مَعَ أصدِقائِي!

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 و َعِندَما جاءَ ابنُكَ هَذا، الَّذِي بَدَّدَ أموالَكَ عَلَى السّاقِطاتِ، ذَبَحتَ العِجلَ المُسَمَّنَ مِنْ أجلِهِ!›

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

31 « فَقالَ لَهُ الأبُ: ‹يا بُنَيَّ، أنتَ دائِماً مَعِي، وَكُلُّ ما أملِكُهُ هُوَ لَكَ.

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

32 ل َكِنْ كانَ لا بُدَّ أنْ نَحتَفِلَ وَنَفرَحَ، لِأنَّ أخاكَ هَذا كانَ مَيِّتاً فَعادَ إلَى الحَياةِ، وَكانَ ضالاً فَوُجِدَ.›»

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.'