15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.
2 The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'
3 So Jesus told them this story.
4 He said, `Which one of you will not do this? A man has a hundred sheep. He loses one of them. He leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and he goes to look for the one that is lost. He looks until he finds it.
5 And when he has found it, he is very glad. He carries it on his back.
6 When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbours to come. He says, "Be glad with me! I have found my lost sheep."
7 `I tell you, the angels in heaven will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things. The angels will be more glad about that one person than about ninety-nine good people who do not need to change their ways.'
8 `What woman will not do this? She has ten pieces of silver money. If she loses one of them, she lights a lamp and sweeps the house. She looks for the money until she finds it.
9 When she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours to come. She says, "Be glad with me! I have found the piece of money I lost."
10 I tell you, the angels of God will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things.'
11 Jesus also said, `A man had two sons.
12 The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me my part of what will belong to me." So his father divided all he had between the two sons.
13 After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.
14 He spent everything he had. `There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.
15 So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.
16 He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.
17 `Then he started to get sense. He said, "My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!
18 I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, "Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.
19 I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."
20 `So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
21 The son said to him, "Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."
22 `But his father said to his servants, "Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.
23 Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.
24 This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to have a good time.
25 `The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants and said, "What is going on?"
27 The servant said, "Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well."
28 `But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.
29 But the son said to his father, "Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.
30 But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!"
31 `The father said, "Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.
32 But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." '