Luke 15

1All the tax-collectors and sinners came to Jesus to listen to Him.

2The Pharisees and teacher of the Laws began to complain, Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!

3Then Jesus told them this parable. He said:

4If one of you has 100 sheep and one sheep gets lost, what will he do? He will leave the other 99 sheep in the desert, and he will go and look for the lost sheep until he finds it.

5And when the man finds the sheep that was lost, he will be very happy and he will carry the sheep on his shoulders.

6When he comes home, he will call his friends and neighbors and say to them, Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.

7In the same way, I tell you, The angels in heaven are happy when one sinner turns to God and starts to do what God wants. They are more happy about one sinner that repents than about the 99 people who think they live in the right way and do not have to repent.

8Jesus said: And if a woman has 10 silver coins and she loses one of the coins, what will she do? She will light a lamp and sweep and clean the floor and look in her house until she finds the coin that was lost.

9When she finds the coin, she will call her friends and her neighbors and say to them: Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!

10In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to repent

11Jesus also said: A man had 2 sons.

12The youngest son said to his father: Father, please give me my part of your money and the things that I will inherit when you die. So, the father gave his sons their part of everything he had.

13few days later the younger son gathered up all that he had and left. He traveled far away to another country, and there he wasted his money living like a fool.

14After he spent everything he had, there was a terrible famine throughout the country. He was hungry and needed money.

15So he went and got a job with one of the people who lived there. The man sent him into the fields to feed pigs.

16The son wanted to eat the food that the pigs ate because he was hungry, but no one gave him any food.

17The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, all my father’s hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat.

18I will get up and go back to my father and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God, and I have done wrong to you.

19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.

20The son got up and he went back to his father. When he was still far away, his father saw him, and his father was moved with love. His father ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.

21Then the son said to his father: Father, I have sinned against God, and I have sinned against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

22But his father told his servant: Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Put a ring on his finger and put sandals on his feet.

23And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat.

24My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found! So, they began to have a party.

25The oldest son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard people making music and dancing.

26He called one of the servants and asked him what was happening at home.

27The servant said: Your brother has come back, and your father killed the best calf to eat. He is happy because he has his son back safe and sound.

28The oldest son was very angry, and he did not want to go into the house. His father came out and he begged his oldest son to come inside.

29But the oldest son said to his father: Father, I have worked for you for many years, and I have always listened to you and obeyed you, but you never gave me a little goat so that I could eat it with my friends.

30But then this son of yours comes home after wasting your money on prostitutes, and you kill the best calf for him!

31The father said to the oldest son: My son, you are always with me and everything that I have is yours.

32But this was a day to be happy and celebrate. Your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.