Jesus taught that God is pleased when people turn from their sinful behavior.

1Many [HYP] tax collectors and others whom people considered to be habitual sinners kept coming to Jesus to listen to him teach.

2The Pharisees and men who taught the Jewish laws who were there [SYN] began to grumble, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and he also defiles himself by eating with them!”

3So Jesus told them this parable:

4“Suppose that one of you had 100 sheep. If one of them were lost, ◄you (sg) would certainly leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it./would you not leave the 99 sheep in the pasture, and go and search for the one lost sheep until you found it?► [RHQ]

5When you (sg) found it, you would put it on your shoulders and be happy.

6When you brought it home, you would call together your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’

7I tell you (pl) that similarly God will be very happy about each and every sinner who turns from doing evil. God is not happy about 99 people who think that they are [IRO] righteous and think that they do not need to turn from doing evil.

8Or, suppose that a woman has ten very valuable silver coins. If she loses one of them, ◄she will certainly light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it!/will she not light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she finds it?► [RHQ]

9When she finds it, she will call together her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me, because I have found the coin that I lost!’

10I tell you that similarly the angels will be happy about even just one sinner who turns from doing evil.”

Jesus taught the Jewish leaders that they also ought to be glad when people turn from their sinful ways.

11Then Jesus told them this parable to compare what the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish law thought about those who turn from their sinful behavior with what God thinks about such people. He said, “A certain man had two sons.

12One day the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, I do not want to wait until you(sg) die. Give me now the share of your property that belongs to me!’ So the man divided his property between his two sons.

13A few days later, the younger son sold his share. He gathered his money and other things together and went to a country far away. There he spent all his money foolishly in reckless/wild living.

14After he had spent all his money, there was a great famine throughout that country. And soon he did not have enough food to eat.

15So he went to one of the landowners in that area and asked for work. The man sent him to work taking care of the pigs in his field.

16Because he was very hungry, he would have been glad to eat the bean pods that the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything to eat.

17Finally he thought clearly about what he had done. He said to himself, ‘All of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food! They have more [SYN] than they can eat, but here I am dying because I do not have anything to eat [HYP]!

18So I will leave here and go back to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God [MTY, EUP] and against you (sg).

19I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son. Just hire me to be like one of the other hired servants.”’

20So he left there and went back to his father’s house. But while he was still some distance from the house, his father saw him. He pitied him. He ran to his son and embraced him and kissed him on the cheek.

21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God [MTY/EUP] and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son.’

22But his father said to his servants, ‘Go quickly and bring to me the best robe in the house! Then put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger to show that I am honoring him again as my son! Put sandals on his feet to show that I do not consider him to be a slave!

23Then bring the fat calf and kill it and cook it. We (inc) must eat and celebrate,

24because my son has returned! It is as though [MET] he was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now has been found!’ So they did that, and they all began to celebrate.

25While all that was happening, the man’s older son was out working in the field. When he came near to the house, he heard people playing music and dancing.

26He called one of the servants and asked what was happening.

27The servant said to him, ‘Your younger brother has come home Your father has told us to kill the fat calf to celebrate because your brother has returned safe and healthy.’

28But the older brother was angry. He refused to enter the house. So his father came out and pleaded with him to come in.

29But he replied to his father, ‘Listen to me! For many years I have worked for you like a slave. I always obeyed everything you told me to do. But you never even gave me a young goat, so that I could kill it and cook it and celebrate with my friends.

30But this son of yours spent all the money he got from what you gave him. He spent it to pay for sleeping with prostitutes! Yes, now he has returned home, but it is not fair that you have told your servants to kill the fat calf and cook it for him!’

31But his father said to him, ‘My son, you have always been with me, and all my property that I did not give to your brother has been yours.

32But it is as though [MET] your brother was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now he has been found! So it is appropriate for us to be happy and celebrate!’ ”