1 Ora, chegavam-se a ele todos os publicanos e pecadores para o ouvir.
2 E os fariseus e os escribas murmuravam, dizendo: Este recebe pecadores, e come com eles.
3 Então ele lhes propôs esta parábola:
4 Qual de vós é o homem que, possuindo cem ovelhas, e perdendo uma delas, não deixa as noventa e nove no deserto, e não vai após a perdida até que a encontre?
5 E achando-a, põe-na sobre os ombros, cheio de júbilo;
6 e chegando a casa, reúne os amigos e vizinhos e lhes diz: Alegrai-vos comigo, porque achei a minha ovelha que se havia perdido.
7 Digo-vos que assim haverá maior alegria no céu por um pecador que se arrepende, do que por noventa e nove justos que não necessitam de arrependimento.
8 Ou qual é a mulher que, tendo dez dracmas e perdendo uma dracma, não acende a candeia, e não varre a casa, buscando com diligência até encontrá-la?
9 E achando-a, reúne as amigas e vizinhas, dizendo: Alegrai-vos comigo, porque achei a dracma que eu havia perdido.
10 Assim, digo-vos, há alegria na presença dos anjos de Deus por um só pecador que se arrepende.
11 Disse-lhe mais: Certo homem tinha dois filhos.
12 O mais moço deles disse ao pai: Pai, dá-me a parte dos bens que me toca. Repartiu-lhes, pois, os seus haveres.
13 Poucos dias depois, o filho mais moço ajuntando tudo, partiu para um país distante, e ali desperdiçou os seus bens, vivendo dissolutamente.
14 E, havendo ele dissipado tudo, houve naquela terra uma grande fome, e começou a passar necessidades.
15 Então foi encontrar-se a um dos cidadãos daquele país, o qual o mandou para os seus campos a apascentar porcos.
16 E desejava encher o estômago com as alfarrobas que os porcos comiam; e ninguém lhe dava nada.
17 Caindo, porém, em si, disse: Quantos empregados de meu pai têm abundância de pão, e eu aqui pereço de fome!
18 Levantar-me-ei, irei ter com meu pai e dir-lhe-ei: Pai, pequei contra o céu e diante de ti;
19 já não sou digno de ser chamado teu filho; trata-me como um dos teus empregados.
20 Levantou-se, pois, e foi para seu pai. Estando ele ainda longe, seu pai o viu, encheu-se de compaixão e, correndo, lançou-se-lhe ao pescoço e o beijou.
21 Disse-lhe o filho: Pai, pequei conta o céu e diante de ti; já não sou digno de ser chamado teu filho.
22 Mas o pai disse aos seus servos: Trazei depressa a melhor roupa, e vesti-lha, e ponde-lhe um anel no dedo e alparcas nos pés;
23 trazei também o bezerro, cevado e matai-o; comamos, e regozijemo-nos,
24 porque este meu filho estava morto, e reviveu; tinha-se perdido, e foi achado. E começaram a regozijar-se.
25 Ora, o seu filho mais velho estava no campo; e quando voltava, ao aproximar-se de casa, ouviu a música e as danças;
26 e chegando um dos servos, perguntou-lhe que era aquilo.
27 Respondeu-lhe este: Chegou teu irmão; e teu pai matou o bezerro cevado, porque o recebeu são e salvo.
28 Mas ele se indignou e não queria entrar. Saiu então o pai e instava com ele.
29 Ele, porém, respondeu ao pai: Eis que há tantos anos te sirvo, e nunca transgredi um mandamento teu; contudo nunca me deste um cabrito para eu me regozijar com meus amigos;
30 vindo, porém, este teu filho, que desperdiçou os teus bens com as meretrizes, mataste-lhe o bezerro cevado.
31 Replicou-lhe o pai: Filho, tu sempre estás comigo, e tudo o que é meu é teu;
32 era justo, porém, regozijarmo-nos e alegramo-nos, porque este teu irmão estava morto, e reviveu; tinha-se perdido, e foi achado.
1 And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to him to hear him;
2 and 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 find it?
5 and having found it, he lays it upon his own shoulders, rejoicing;
6 and being come to the house, calls together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.
7 I say unto you, that thus there shall be joy in heaven for one repenting sinner, {more} than for ninety and nine righteous who have no need of repentance.
8 Or, what woman having ten drachmas, if she lose one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully till she find it?
9 and having found it she calls together the friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.
10 Thus, I say unto you, there is joy before the angels of God for one repenting sinner.
11 And he said, A certain man had two sons;
12 and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give to me the share of the property that falls {to me}. And he divided to them what he was possessed of.
13 And after not many days the younger son gathering all together went away into a country a long way off, and there dissipated his property, living in debauchery.
14 But when he had spent all there arose a violent famine throughout 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 longed to fill his belly with the husks which the swine were eating; and no one gave to him.
17 And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have abundance of bread, and *I* perish here by famine.
18 I will rise up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee;
19 I am no longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he rose up and went to his own father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck, and covered him with kisses.
21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in {it}, and put a ring on his hand and sandals 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 has come to life, was lost and has been found. And they began to make merry.
25 And his elder son was in the field; and as, coming {up}, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 And having called one of the servants, he inquired what these things might be.
27 And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well.
28 But he became angry and would not go in. And his father went out and besought him.
29 But he answering said to his father, Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends:
30 but when this thy son, who has devoured thy substance with harlots, is come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 But he said to him, Child, *thou* art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine.
32 But it was right to make merry and rejoice, because this thy brother was dead and has come to life again, and was lost and has been found.