Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus,
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Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
2 the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, "This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!"
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The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them."
3 So Jesus told them this parable:
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He told them this parable.
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them - what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it.
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"Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?
5 When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders
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When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbors together and say to them, "I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!'
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When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.
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I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
8 "Or suppose a woman who has ten silver coins loses one of them - what does she do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house, and looks carefully everywhere until she finds it.
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Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma, wouldn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says to them, "I am so happy I found the coin I lost. Let us celebrate!'
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When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.'
10 In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents."
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Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting."
11 Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons.
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He said, "A certain man had two sons.
12 The younger one said to him, "Father, give me my share of the property now.' So the man divided his property between his two sons.
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The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his living to them.
13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living.
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Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and took his journey into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing.
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When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs.
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He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat.
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He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
17 At last he came to his senses and said, "All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve!
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But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger!
18 I will get up and go to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you.
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I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.
19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers." '
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I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."'
20 So he got up and started back to his father. "He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him.
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He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 "Father,' the son said, "I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.'
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The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son.'
22 But the father called to his servants. "Hurry!' he said. "Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.
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But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
23 Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!
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Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;
24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' And so the feasting began.
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for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to be merry.
25 "In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing.
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"Now his elder son was in the field. As he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him, "What's going on?'
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He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on.
27 "Your brother has come back home,' the servant answered, "and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.'
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He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him safe and sound.'
28 The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in.
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But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him.
29 But he spoke back to his father, "Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends!
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But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, and you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
30 But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!'
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But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'
31 "My son,' the father answered, "you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours.
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He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' "
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But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.