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¹ Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near to him to hear him.² And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them.³ And he spoke to them this parable, saying,⁴ What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it?⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.⁶ And 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 I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, [more] than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.⁸ Or what woman having ten, $100 pieces, if she loses one, does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she finds it?⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the $100 piece which I had lost.¹⁰ Even so, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.

¹¹ And he said, A certain man had two sons:¹² and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of [your] substance that falls to me. And he divided to them his living.¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living.¹⁴ And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want.¹⁵ And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.¹⁶ And he desired to have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate: and no man gave to him.¹⁷ But when he came to himself he said, How many hired workers of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger!¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight:¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired workers.²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.²¹ And 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 said to his slaves, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:²³ and bring the fatted calf, [and] kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:²⁴ for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.²⁵ Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.²⁶ And he called to him one of the [household] slaves, and inquired what these things might be.²⁷ And he said to him, Your brother has come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.²⁸ But he was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and entreated him.²⁹ But he answered and said to his father, Look, these many years I serve you as a slave, and I never transgressed a commandment of yours; and [yet] you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends:³⁰ but when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed for him the fatted calf.³¹ And he said to him, Son, you are ever with me, and all that is mine is yours.³² But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive [again]; and [was] lost, and is found.