The Prodigal Son

11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me (A)the share of the estate that [a]is coming to me.’ And so he divided his [b](B)wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his estate in [c]wild living. 14 Now when he had [d]spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without. 15 So he went and [e]hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything. 17 But when he came to [f]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here [g]from hunger! 18 I will set out and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and [h]in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers.”’ 20 So he set out and came to [i]his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and [j](C)embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and [k]in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out (D)the best robe and put it on him, and [l](E)put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was (F)dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never [m]neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your [n](G)wealth with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you [o]have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was (H)dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 15:12 Lit falls
  2. Luke 15:12 Lit means of subsistence
  3. Luke 15:13 Or wasteful
  4. Luke 15:14 Or wasted
  5. Luke 15:15 Lit joined himself to
  6. Luke 15:17 Lit himself
  7. Luke 15:17 Lit by
  8. Luke 15:18 Lit before you
  9. Luke 15:20 Lit his own
  10. Luke 15:20 Lit fell on his neck
  11. Luke 15:21 Lit before you
  12. Luke 15:22 Lit give...into his hand
  13. Luke 15:29 Or disobeyed
  14. Luke 15:30 Lit means of subsistence
  15. Luke 15:31 Lit are always with me

The Story of the Lost Son

11-12 Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’

12-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to feel it. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corn-cobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.

17-20 “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.

20-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’

22-24 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a prize-winning heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.

25-27 “All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’

28-30 “The older brother stomped off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’

31-32 “His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”

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