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¹ Then drew near to him the publicans and sinners to hear him.² And the Sophree and Pharishee murmured, and said, This (man) receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.³ And Jeshu spake to them this parable:⁴ What man of you, who hath a hundred sheep, if he shall lose one from them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and, going, seeketh that which was lost until he shall have found it ?⁵ And when he hath found it, he rejoiceth and carrieth it upon his shoulders.⁶ And, coming to his house, he calleth his friends and his neighbours, and saith to them, Rejoice with me; for I have found the sheep which was lost.⁷ I say to you, that thus shall there be joy in heaven over one sinner who repenteth, more than over the ninety and nine just ones who have no need of repentance.⁸ Or, who is the woman that hath ten zuzis, and shall lose one of them, (and) does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and seek it diligently, until she shall have found it ?⁹ And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours, and saith to them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my zuzi that I had lost.¹⁰ I say to you, that so shall there be joy before the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

¹¹ AND Jeshu said to them again, A certain man had two sons;¹² and his minor [fn] son said to him, My father, give to me my division of the goods of thy house. And he divided to them his substance. ¹³ And after a few days the minor son gathered together his all whatsoever, and went into a distant country, and there dispersed his substance in living profusely.¹⁴ And when every thing he had was finished, there was a great famine in that country; and he began to want.¹⁵ And he went and joined himself to one of the sons of the city of that place; and he sent him into the field to tend the swine.¹⁶ And he had a desire to fill his belly with those karubs [fn] which the swine did eat; and no man gave to him. ¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hirelings are there now in my father's house, who have abundance of bread, and I here with hunger am perishing !¹⁸ I will arise, go to my father, and say to him, My father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee,¹⁹ and am no more worthy thy son to be called: make me as one of thy hirelings.²⁰ And he arose, (and) went to his father. And while he was (yet) afar, his father saw him, and had compassion upon him, and ran, fell upon his neck, and kissed him.²¹ And his son said to him, My father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy thy son to be called.²² But his father said to his servants, Bring forth the first [fn] robe to clothe him, and put a ring upon his hand, and let him be, shod with sandals, ²³ and bring, kill the calf that is fat, and let us eat and be glad;²⁴ for this my son was dead, and he is alive; he was lost, and is found. And they began to rejoice.²⁵ But he, the elder son, was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard the voice of music;²⁶ and he called one of the youths, and asked him what this was.²⁷ He said to him, Thy brother hath come, and thy father hath killed the calf that was fat, because he hath received him well.²⁸ And he was angry, and would not go in. And his father came forth and besought him.²⁹ But he said to his father, Behold, how many years have I wrought thee service, and never have I transgressed thy commandment: yet never hast thou given me a kid, that I might feast with my friends.³⁰ But this thy son, when he hath wasted thy substance with harlots, and hath come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.³¹ His father saith to him, My son, thou in all time art with me, and every thing that I have is thine.³² But to rejoice it behoves us, and to be glad, because this thy brother was dead, and is alive; and was lost, and is found.