1 Y SE llegaban á él todos los publicanos y pecadores á oirle.

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

2 Y murmuraban los Fariseos y los escribas, diciendo: Este á los pecadores recibe, y con ellos come.

And 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.

3 Y él les propuso esta parábola, diciendo:

So He told them this parable:

4 ¿ Qué hombre de vosotros, teniendo cien ovejas, si perdiere una de ellas, no deja las noventa y nueve en el desierto, y va á la que se perdió, hasta que la halle?

What 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?

5 Y hallada, la pone sobre sus hombros gozoso;

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 Y viniendo á casa, junta á los amigos y á los vecinos, diciéndoles: Dadme el parabién, porque he hallado mi oveja que se había perdido.

And 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.

7 O s digo, que así habrá más gozo en el cielo de un pecador que se arrepiente, que de noventa y nueve justos, que no necesitan arrepentimiento.

Thus, 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.

8 ¿ O qué mujer que tiene diez dracmas, si perdiere una dracma, no enciende el candil, y barre la casa, y busca con diligencia hasta hallarla?

Or 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?

9 Y cuando la hubiere hallado, junta las amigas y las vecinas, diciendo: Dadme el parabién, porque he hallado la dracma que había perdido.

And 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.

10 A sí os digo que hay gozo delante de los ángeles de Dios por un pecador que se arrepiente.

Even 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).

11 Y dijo: Un hombre tenía dos hijos;

And He said, There was a certain man who had two sons;

12 Y el menor de ellos dijo á su padre: Padre, dame la parte de la hacienda que me pertenece: y les repartió la hacienda.

And 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.

13 Y no muchos días después, juntándolo todo el hijo menor, partió lejos á una provincia apartada; y allí desperdició su hacienda viviendo perdidamente.

And 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.

14 Y cuando todo lo hubo malgastado, vino una grande hambre en aquella provincia, y comenzóle á faltar.

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

15 Y fué y se llegó á uno de los ciudadanos de aquella tierra, el cual le envió á su hacienda para que apacentase los puercos.

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

16 Y deseaba henchir su vientre de las algarrobas que comían los puercos; mas nadie se las daba.

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

17 Y volviendo en sí, dijo: ­Cuántos jornaleros en casa de mi padre tienen abundancia de pan, y yo aquí perezco de hambre!

Then 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!

18 M e levantaré, é iré á mi padre, y le diré: Padre, he pecado contra el cielo y contra ti;

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.

19 Y a no soy digno de ser llamado tu hijo; hazme como á uno de tus jornaleros.

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

20 Y levantándose, vino á su padre. Y como aun estuviese lejos, viólo su padre, y fué movido á misericordia, y corrió, y echóse sobre su cuello, y besóle.

So 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].

21 Y el hijo le dijo: Padre, he pecado contra el cielo, y contra ti, y ya no soy digno de ser llamado tu hijo.

And 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!

22 M as el padre dijo á sus siervos: Sacad el principal vestido, y vestidle; y poned un anillo en su mano, y zapatos en sus pies.

But 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.

23 Y traed el becerro grueso, y matadlo, y comamos, y hagamos fiesta:

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

24 P orque este mi hijo muerto era, y ha revivido; habíase perdido, y es hallado. Y comenzaron á regocijarse.

Because 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.

25 Y su hijo el mayor estaba en el campo; el cual como vino, y llegó cerca de casa, oyó la sinfonía y las danzas;

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

26 Y llamando á uno de los criados, preguntóle qué era aquello.

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

27 Y él le dijo: Tu hermano ha venido; y tu padre ha muerto el becerro grueso, por haberle recibido salvo.

And 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.

28 E ntonces se enojó, y no quería entrar. Salió por tanto su padre, y le rogaba que entrase.

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

29 M as él respondiendo, dijo al padre: He aquí tantos años te sirvo, no habiendo traspasado jamás tu mandamiento, y nunca me has dado un cabrito para gozarme con mis amigos:

But 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;

30 M as cuando vino éste tu hijo, que ha consumido tu hacienda con rameras, has matado para él el becerro grueso.

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

31 E l entonces le dijo: Hijo, tú siempre estás conmigo, y todas mis cosas son tuyas.

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

32 M as era menester hacer fiesta y holgar nos, porque este tu hermano muerto era, y ha revivido; habíase perdido, y es hallado.

But 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!