The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ He also said, “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets^[a] to them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered^(A) his estate in foolish living.^{(B) 14} After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.^{[b] 15} Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.^{(C) 16} He longed to eat his fill from^[c] the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. ¹⁷ When he came to his senses,^[d] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!^{[e] 18} I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned^(D) against heaven^(E) and in your sight. ¹⁹ I’m no longer worthy^(F) to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.^(G) He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed^(H) him. ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe^(I) and put it on him; put a ring^(J) on his finger and sandals^(K) on his feet. ²³ Then bring the fattened calf^(L) and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and is alive again;^(M) he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’^[f]

²⁸ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets^[g] with prostitutes,^(N) you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “‘Son,’^[h] he said to him, ‘you are always with me,^(O) and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The Temptation and the Fall

3 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” ^(A)

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. ³ But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”^(B)

⁴ “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.^{(C) 5} “In fact, God knows that when^[a] you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.^{(D) 7} Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.