Luke 14:35-15:7
New English Translation
35 It is of no value[a] for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.[b] The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”[c]
The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin
15 Now all the tax collectors[d] and sinners were coming[e] to hear him. 2 But[f] the Pharisees[g] and the experts in the law[h] were complaining,[i] “This man welcomes[j] sinners and eats with them.”
3 So[k] Jesus[l] told them[m] this parable:[n] 4 “Which one[o] of you, if he has a hundred[p] sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture[q] and go look for[r] the one that is lost until he finds it?[s] 5 Then[t] when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning[u] home, he calls together[v] his[w] friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner[x] who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people[y] who have no need to repent.[z]
Footnotes
- Luke 14:35 tn Or “It is not useful” (L&N 65.32).
- Luke 14:35 tn Grk “they throw it out.” The third person plural with unspecified subject is a circumlocution for the passive here.
- Luke 14:35 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8).
- Luke 15:1 sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
- Luke 15:1 tn Grk “were drawing near.”
- Luke 15:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Luke 15:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “grumbling”; Grk “were complaining, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “accepts,” “receives.” This is not the first time this issue has been raised: Luke 5:27-32; 7:37-50.
- Luke 15:3 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Luke 15:3 sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
- Luke 15:4 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
- Luke 15:4 tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.
- Luke 15:4 sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
- Luke 15:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
- Luke 15:6 tn Grk “And coming into his…” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- Luke 15:6 sn A touch of drama may be present, as the term calls together can mean a formal celebration (1 Kgs 1:9-10).
- Luke 15:6 tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215). It occurs before “neighbors” as well (“his friends and his neighbors”) but has not been translated the second time because of English style.
- Luke 15:7 sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.
- Luke 15:7 tn Here δικαίοις (dikaiois) is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”
- Luke 15:7 tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”
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