1 Now all the tax-farmers and sinners came near to give ear to him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, This man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them.

3 And he made a story for them, saying,

4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if one of them gets loose and goes away, will not let the ninety-nine be in the waste land by themselves, and go after the wandering one, till he sees where it is?

5 And when he has got it again, he takes it in his arms with joy.

6 And when he gets back to his house, he sends for his neighbours and friends, saying to them, Be glad with me, for I have got back my sheep which had gone away.

7 I say to you that even so there will be more joy in heaven when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing, than for ninety-nine good men, who have no need of a change of heart.

8 Or what woman, having ten bits of silver, if one bit has gone from her hands, will not get a light, and go through her house, searching with care till she sees it?

9 And when she has it again, she gets her friends and neighbours together, saying, Be glad with me, for I have got back the bit of silver which had gone from me.

10 Even so, I say to you, There is joy among the angels of God, when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing.

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them.

13 And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living.

14 And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need.

15 And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food.

16 And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything.

17 But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food!

18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes:

19 I am no longer good enough to be named your son: make me like one of your servants.

20 And he got up and went to his father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with pity for him and went quickly and took him in his arms and gave him a kiss.

21 And his son said to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes: I am no longer good enough to be named your son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Get out the first robe quickly, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet:

23 And get the fat young ox and put it to death, and let us have a feast, and be glad.

24 For this, my son, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away from me, and has come back. And they were full of joy.

25 Now the older son was in the field: and when he came near the house, the sounds of music and dancing came to his ears.

26 And he sent for one of the servants, questioning him about what it might be.

27 And he said to him, Your brother has come; and your father has had the young ox put to death because he has come back safely.

28 But he was angry and would not go in; and his father came out and made a request to him to come in.

29 But he made answer and said to his father, See, all these years I have been your servant, doing your orders in everything: and you never gave me even a young goat so that I might have a feast with my friends:

30 But when this your son came, who has been wasting your property with bad women, you put to death the fat young ox for him.

31 And he said to him, Son, you are with me at all times, and all I have is yours.

32 But it was right to be glad and to have a feast; for this your brother, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away and has come back.

1 Todos os publicanos e "pecadores" estavam se reunindo para ouvi-lo.

2 Mas os fariseus e os mestres da lei o criticavam: "Este homem recebe pecadores e come com eles".

3 Então Jesus lhes contou esta parábola:

4 "Qual de vocês que, possuindo cem ovelhas, e perdendo uma, não deixa as noventa e nove no campo e vai atrás da ovelha perdida, até encontrá-la?

5 E quando a encontra, coloca-a alegremente sobre os ombros

6 e vai para casa. Ao chegar, reúne seus amigos e vizinhos e diz: ‘Alegrem-se comigo, pois encontrei minha ovelha perdida’.

7 Eu lhes digo que, da mesma forma, haverá mais alegria no céu por um pecador que se arrepende do que por noventa e nove justos que não precisam arrepender-se".

8 "Ou, qual é a mulher que, possuindo dez dracmas e, perdendo uma delas, não acende uma candeia, varre a casa e procura atentamente, até encontrá-la?

9 E quando a encontra, reúne suas amigas e vizinhas e diz: ‘Alegrem-se comigo, pois encontrei minha moeda perdida’.

10 Eu lhes digo que, da mesma forma, há alegria na presença dos anjos de Deus por um pecador que se arrepende".

11 Jesus continuou: "Um homem tinha dois filhos.

12 O mais novo disse ao seu pai: ‘Pai, quero a minha parte da herança’. Assim, ele repartiu sua propriedade entre eles.

13 "Não muito tempo depois, o filho mais novo reuniu tudo o que tinha, e foi para uma região distante; e lá desperdiçou os seus bens vivendo irresponsavelmente.

14 Depois de ter gasto tudo, houve uma grande fome em toda aquela região, e ele começou a passar necessidade.

15 Por isso foi empregar-se com um dos cidadãos daquela região, que o mandou para o seu campo a fim de cuidar de porcos.

16 Ele desejava encher o estômago com as vagens de alfarrobeira que os porcos comiam, mas ninguém lhe dava nada.

17 "Caindo em si, ele disse: ‘Quantos empregados de meu pai têm comida de sobra, e eu aqui, morrendo de fome!

18 Eu me porei a caminho e voltarei para meu pai, e lhe direi: Pai, pequei contra o céu e contra ti.

19 Não sou mais digno de ser chamado teu filho; trata-me como um dos teus empregados’.

20 A seguir, levantou-se e foi para seu pai. "Estando ainda longe, seu pai o viu e, cheio de compaixão, correu para seu filho, e o abraçou e beijou.

21 "O filho lhe disse: ‘Pai, pequei contra o céu e contra ti. Não sou mais digno de ser chamado teu filho’.

22 "Mas o pai disse aos seus servos: ‘Depressa! Tragam a melhor roupa e vistam nele. Coloquem um anel em seu dedo e calçados em seus pés.

23 Tragam o novilho gordo e matem-no. Vamos fazer uma festa e comemorar.

24 Pois este meu filho estava morto e voltou à vida; estava perdido e foi achado’. E começaram a festejar.

25 "Enquanto isso, o filho mais velho estava no campo. Quando se aproximou da casa, ouviu a música e a dança.

26 Então chamou um dos servos e perguntou-lhe o que estava acontecendo.

27 Este lhe respondeu: ‘Seu irmão voltou, e seu pai matou o novilho gordo, porque o recebeu de volta são e salvo’.

28 "O filho mais velho encheu-se de ira, e não quis entrar. Então seu pai saiu e insistiu com ele.

29 Mas ele respondeu ao seu pai: ‘Olha! todos esses anos tenho trabalhado como um escravo ao teu serviço e nunca desobedeci às tuas ordens. Mas tu nunca me deste nem um cabrito para eu festejar com os meus amigos.

30 Mas quando volta para casa esse seu filho, que esbanjou os teus bens com as prostitutas, matas o novilho gordo para ele! ’

31 "Disse o pai: ‘Meu filho, você está sempre comigo, e tudo o que tenho é seu.

32 Mas nós tínhamos que comemorar e alegrar-nos, porque este seu irmão estava morto e voltou à vida, estava perdido e foi achado’ ".