Luke 15:23

Easy-to-Read Version

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

Parallel Translations

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And bringe hidder that fatted caulfe and kyll him and let vs eate and be mery:

Hebrew Names Version
Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;

International Standard Version
Bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let's eat and celebrate!

New American Standard Bible
and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let's eat and celebrate;

New Century Version
And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a feast and celebrate.

Update Bible Version
and bring the fatted calf, [and] kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:

Webster's Bible Translation
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry:

Amplified Bible
'And bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate;

English Standard Version
And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

World English Bible
Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.

Weymouth's New Testament
Fetch the fat calf and kill it, and let us feast and enjoy ourselves;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and schoon on hise feet; and brynge ye a fat calf, and sle ye, and ete we, and make we feeste.

English Revised Version
and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:

Berean Standard Bible
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.

Contemporary English Version
Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate.

American Standard Version
and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:

Bible in Basic English
And get the fat young ox and put it to death, and let us have a feast, and be glad.

Complete Jewish Bible
and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let's eat and have a celebration!

Darby Translation
and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry:

Etheridge Translation
and bring, kill the calf that is fat, and let us eat and be glad;

Murdock Translation
And bring forth and slay the fatted bullock; and let us eat, and be merry.

King James Version (1611)
And bring hither the fatted calfe, and kill it, and let vs eate and be merrie.

New Living Translation
And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,

New Life Bible
Bring the calf that is fat and kill it. Let us eat and be glad.

New Revised Standard
And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And bring the fat calfe, and kill him, & let vs eate, and be merie:

George Lamsa Translation
And bring and kill the fat ox, and let us eat and be merry;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And be bringing the fatted calf, sacrifice! and let us eat and make merry:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry:

Revised Standard Version
and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And bryng [hyther] that fat calfe, and kyll it, and let vs eate and be mery:

Good News Translation
Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!

Christian Standard Bible®
Then bring the fattened calf

King James Version
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Lexham English Bible
And bring the fattened calf—kill it and let us eat and celebrate,

Literal Translation
And bring the fattened calf, slaughter and let us eat and be merry;

Young's Literal Translation
and having brought the fatted calf, kill [it], and having eaten, we may be merry,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and brynge hither a fed calfe, and kyll it, lat vs eate and be mery:

Mace New Testament (1729)
take the fatted calf, and kill it: let us eat and be merry:

New English Translation
Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate,

New King James Version
And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Simplified Cowboy Version
Butcher the grain-fed steer and get ready for a party.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

Legacy Standard Bible
and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate,

Contextual Overview

¹¹ Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me now the part of your property that I am supposed to receive someday.' So the father divided his wealth between his two sons. ¹³ "A few 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. ¹⁴ After he spent everything he had, there was a terrible famine throughout the country. He was hungry and needed money. ¹⁵ So he went and got a job with one of the people who lived there. The man sent him into the fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ "The 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. ¹⁸ I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.' ²⁰ So he left and went to his father. "While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the fatted: Genesis 18:7, Psalms 63:5, Proverbs 9:2, Isaiah 25:6, Isaiah 65:13, Isaiah 65:14, Matthew 22:2-14

Reciprocal: Exodus 24:11 - did eat Deuteronomy 28:63 - rejoiced over 1 Samuel 28:24 - a fat calf Proverbs 23:15 - even mine Song of Solomon 3:11 - in the day of the Isaiah 53:10 - the pleasure Isaiah 55:2 - eat Jeremiah 31:4 - again Micah 7:18 - he delighteth Zephaniah 3:17 - will rejoice Matthew 18:13 - he rejoiceth Matthew 26:29 - until Luke 15:5 - rejoicing Luke 15:27 - and thy Luke 15:30 - devoured John 15:11 - my Acts 15:3 - they caused 1 Corinthians 10:27 - bid

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it,.... By which Christ is designed, in allusion to the calves offered in sacrifice, which were offered for sin offerings, and for peace offerings, and for burnt offerings; and were one of the sacrifices on the day of atonement: so Christ has offered up himself in soul and body, freely and voluntarily, in the room and stead of his people, an offering and sacrifice to God, of a sweet smelling savour; which is well pleasing to him, and effectual to the purposes for which it was offered, and therefore will never be repeated; and has hereby satisfied law and justice, procured peace and reconciliation, and made full atonement and expiation for all their sins and transgressions: or else in allusion to the feasts and liberal entertainments of friends, when the fatted calf made a considerable part, Genesis 18:7 Christ is the best provision that can be set before a believer, or he can feed upon; yea, the best that God can give, or saints desire: he is true and real food, spiritual, savoury, satisfying, and durable; what both gives and preserves life; nourishes, strengthens, refreshes, delights, and fattens. Now by "bringing it hither", is meant preaching Christ; opening the Scriptures concerning him; setting him before believers, as their only proper food, both in the ministry of the word, and in the Lord's supper: and "killing" him does not design either the slaying of him in purpose, promise, and type, from the foundation of the world; nor the actual crucifixion of him by the Jews; but the setting him forth in the Gospel in a ministerial way, as crucified and slain, for saints by faith to feed and live upon:

and let us eat and be merry: for as the Jews f say,

"there is no mirth without eating and drinking:''

this is a mutual invitation or encouragement to eat of the fatted calf: the parties called upon to eat of it are the Father, the servants, and the returned son. The Father, to whom the salvation of his people, by the death of Christ, is as a feast; his heart was set upon this from everlasting; and he was infinitely well pleased with Christ, as the surety of his people from all eternity; his eye was upon him as such throughout the several dispensations before his coming; he sent him forth with great pleasure in the fulness of time; and not only did not spare him, but it even pleased him to bruise him; and he accepted of his sacrifice with delight; and takes pleasure in seeing his people feed upon their crucified Saviour; and this is expressive of that communion which God admits his people to with himself, and which, as it is signified by walking and talking, and sitting and dwelling, so by eating together; and is in consequence of union to him; and is only enjoyed by true believers; and is the greatest blessing on earth, and what is next to heaven. The servants, the ministers of the Gospel, they are among the "us", who are to eat; and it is but reasonable they should, and it is even necessary that they do eat, and live upon a crucified Christ themselves, whose business it is to set him forth as such to others: and especially the returned son makes a principal guest at this entertainment; for whom it is made, and for whose sake chiefly the invitation to eat is given: by which is meant not corporeal eating, but eating by faith; which supposes food to eat, of which there is plenty in the Gospel provision; a principle of life infused, for a dead man cannot eat; and spiritual hunger and thirst, otherwise there will be no appetite; and the grace of faith; which is the hand that takes, and the mouth that receives, and eats spiritual food: and believers have full and free liberty to eat of it; nor should they object their own unworthiness, but consider the suitableness of the food unto them; that it is on purpose prepared for them; that they are in their Father's house, and at his table; and the invitation to eat is hearty and cordial; and both the Father and Christ give this food, and bid welcome to it; and there is a necessity of eating it, for without this there can be no living in a spiritual sense: it is hereby that life is supported and maintained; without this the saints must be starving; it is this which preserves from hunger, and satisfies it, and nourishes up unto eternal life. The manner of eating, or the circumstance attending it, is "mirth", both in Father, son, and servants; and as corporeal, so spiritual eating should be with joy, and with a merry heart, Ecclesiastes 9:7 and indeed is the most proper means of stirring and increasing spiritual joy and pleasure; see the note on the latter part of the following verse,

Ecclesiastes 9:7- :.

f T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 9. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Be merry - Literally, “eating, let us rejoice.” The word “merry” does not quite express the meaning of the Greek. “Merriment” denotes a light, playful, jovial mirth. The Greek denotes simply “joy - let us be happy, or joyful.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 15:23. The fatted calf, and kill it] θυσατε, Sacrifice it. In ancient times the animals provided for public feasts were first sacrificed to God. The blood of the beast being poured out before God, by way of atonement for sin, the flesh was considered as consecrated, and the guests were considered as feeding on Divine food. This custom is observed among the Asiatics to this day.