Luke 15 - Lexham English Bible (LEB)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. ² And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

³ So he told them this parable, saying, ⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he^[a] has found it,^[b] he places it^[c] on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he^[d] returns to his^[e] home, he calls together his^[f] friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?^{[g] 9} And when she^[h] has found it,^[i] she calls together her^[j] friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ And he said, “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his^[k] father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his^[l] assets between them. ¹³ And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and^[m] went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by^[n] living wastefully. ¹⁴ And after^[o] he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ And he went and^[p] hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to fill his stomach with^[q] the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything^[r] to him.

¹⁷ “But when he^[s] came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have an abundance of food,^[t] and I am dying here from hunger! ¹⁸ I will set out and^[u] go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight!^{[v] 19} I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.’ ²⁰ And he set out and^[w] came to his own father. But while^[x] he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him^[y] and kissed him. ²¹ And his^[z] son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight!^[aa] I am no longer worthy to be called your son!’ ²² But his^[ab] father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it^[ac] on him, and put a ring on his finger^[ad] and sandals on his^[ae] feet! ²³ And bring the fattened calf—kill it^[af] and let us eat and^[ag] celebrate, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and^[ah] approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he summoned one of the slaves and^[ai] asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has gotten him back healthy.’ ²⁸ But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and^[aj] began to implore^[ak] him. ²⁹ But he answered and^[al] said to his father, ‘Behold, so many years I have served you, and have never disobeyed your command! And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! ³⁰ But when this son of yours returned—who has consumed your assets with prostitutes—you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and everything I have belongs to you.^{[am] 32} But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!’”

Footnotes

1. Luke 15:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has found”) which is understood as temporal
2. Luke 15:5 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
3. Luke 15:5 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
4. Luke 15:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“returns”) which is understood as temporal
5. Luke 15:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
6. Luke 15:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
7. Luke 15:8 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
8. Luke 15:9 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has found”) which is understood as temporal
9. Luke 15:9 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
10. Luke 15:9 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
11. Luke 15:12 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
12. Luke 15:12 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
13. Luke 15:13 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“gathered”) has been translated as a finite verb
14. Luke 15:13 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the adverbial participle of manner (“living”)
15. Luke 15:14 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had spent”)
16. Luke 15:15 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb
17. Luke 15:16 Some manuscripts have “to stuff himself with”
18. Luke 15:16 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
19. Luke 15:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
20. Luke 15:17 Literally “of bread”
21. Luke 15:18 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“set out”) has been translated as a finite verb
22. Luke 15:18 Literally “in the sight of you”
23. Luke 15:20 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“set out”) has been translated as a finite verb
24. Luke 15:20 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“away”)
25. Luke 15:20 Literally “fell on his neck”
26. Luke 15:21 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
27. Luke 15:21 Literally “in the sight of you”
28. Luke 15:22 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
29. Luke 15:22 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
30. Luke 15:22 Literally “hand,” but this is a metonymy of whole (“hand”) for part (“finger”)
31. Luke 15:22 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
32. Luke 15:23 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
33. Luke 15:23 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“eat”) has been translated as a finite verb
34. Luke 15:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
35. Luke 15:26 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb
36. Luke 15:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came out”) has been translated as a finite verb
37. Luke 15:28 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to implore”)
38. Luke 15:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
39. Luke 15:31 Literally “all my things are yours”