Luke 15-16

Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 All^(A) the tax collectors^(B) and sinners were approaching to listen to him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners^(C) and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable:^{(D) 4} “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them,^(E) does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field^[a] and go after the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, ⁶ and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ ⁷ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven^(F) over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or what woman who has ten silver coins,^[b][c] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ ¹⁰ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels^(G) over one sinner who repents.”

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^[d] to them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered^(H) his estate in foolish living.^{(I) 14} After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.^{[e] 15} Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.^{(J) 16} He longed to eat his fill from^[f] the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. ¹⁷ When he came to his senses,^[g] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!^{[h] 18} I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned^(K) against heaven^(L) and in your sight. ¹⁹ I’m no longer worthy^(M) 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.^(N) He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed^(O) 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^(P) and put it on him; put a ring^(Q) on his finger and sandals^(R) on his feet. ²³ Then bring the fattened calf^(S) and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and is alive again;^(T) 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.’^[i]

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^[j] with prostitutes,^(U) you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “‘Son,’^[k] he said to him, ‘you are always with me,^(V) 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 Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16 Now he said to the disciples, “There was a rich^(W) man who received an accusation that his manager^(X) was squandering^(Y) his possessions. ² So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management,^(Z) because you can no longer be my manager.’

³ “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

⁵ “So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one.

⁶ “‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said.

“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

⁷ “Next he asked another, ‘How much do you owe?’

“‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said.

“‘Take your invoice,’ he told him, ‘and write eighty.’

⁸ “The master praised the unrighteous manager^(AA) because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age^(AB) are more shrewd than the children of light^(AC) in dealing with their own people.^{[l] 9} And I tell you, make friends^(AD) for yourselves by means of worldly wealth^[m](AE) so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. ¹⁰ Whoever is faithful^(AF) in very little^(AG) is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. ¹¹ So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine? ¹² And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? ¹³ No^(AH) servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate^(AI) one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Kingdom Values

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money,^(AJ) were listening to all these things and scoffing^(AK) at him. ¹⁵ And he told them, “You are the ones who justify^(AL) yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts.^(AM) For what is highly admired by people is revolting^(AN) in God’s sight.

¹⁶ “The^(AO) Law and the Prophets^(AP) were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God^(AQ) has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it.^{[n] 17} But it is easier^(AR) for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out.

¹⁸ “Everyone^(AS) who divorces^(AT) his wife and marries another woman commits adultery,^(AU) and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen,^(AV) feasting lavishly every day. ²⁰ But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate.^{(AW) 21} He longed to be filled^(AX) with what fell from the rich man’s table,^(AY) but instead the dogs^(AZ) would come and lick his sores. ²² One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side.^[o](BA) The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torment^(BB) in Hades,^(BC) he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ ‘Father Abraham!’^(BD) he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony^(BE) in this flame!’

²⁵ “‘Son,’^[p] Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things,^(BF) just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here,^(BG) while you are in agony. ²⁶ Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

²⁷ “‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ because I have five brothers—to warn^(BH) them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets;^(BI) they should listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”^(BJ)