The Lost Son

¹¹ Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the property.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons.

¹³ “After a few days, the younger son gathered his possessions and left for a country far away from home. There he wasted everything he had on a wild lifestyle. ¹⁴ He had nothing left when a severe famine spread throughout that country. He had nothing to live on. ¹⁵ So he got a job from someone in that country and was sent to feed pigs in the fields. ¹⁶ No one in the country would give him any food, and he was so hungry that he would have eaten what the pigs were eating.

¹⁷ “Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here? ¹⁸ I’ll go at once to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. ¹⁹ I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore. Make me one of your hired men.” ’

²⁰ “So he went at once to his father. While he was still at a distance, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son, put his arms around him, and kissed him. ²¹ Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.’ ^[a]

²² “The father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s celebrate with a feast. ²⁴ My son was dead and has come back to life. He was lost but has been found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “His older son was in the field. As he was coming back to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ He called to one of the servants and asked what was happening.

²⁷ “The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come home. So your father has killed the fattened calf to celebrate your brother’s safe return.’

²⁸ “Then the older son became angry and wouldn’t go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your commands. Yet, you’ve never given me so much as a little goat for a celebration with my friends. ³⁰ But this son of yours spent your money on prostitutes, and when he came home, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “His father said to him, ‘My child, you’re always with me. Everything I have is yours. ³² But we have something to celebrate, something to be happy about. This brother of yours was dead but has come back to life. He was lost but has been found.’ ”