1 Now all the tax-farmers and sinners came near to give ear to him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, This man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them.
3 And he made a story for them, saying,
4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if one of them gets loose and goes away, will not let the ninety-nine be in the waste land by themselves, and go after the wandering one, till he sees where it is?
5 And when he has got it again, he takes it in his arms with joy.
6 And when he gets back to his house, he sends for his neighbours and friends, saying to them, Be glad with me, for I have got back my sheep which had gone away.
7 I say to you that even so there will be more joy in heaven when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing, than for ninety-nine good men, who have no need of a change of heart.
8 Or what woman, having ten bits of silver, if one bit has gone from her hands, will not get a light, and go through her house, searching with care till she sees it?
9 And when she has it again, she gets her friends and neighbours together, saying, Be glad with me, for I have got back the bit of silver which had gone from me.
10 Even so, I say to you, There is joy among the angels of God, when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing.
11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them.
13 And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living.
14 And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need.
15 And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food.
16 And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything.
17 But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food!
18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes:
19 I am no longer good enough to be named your son: make me like one of your servants.
20 And he got up and went to his father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with pity for him and went quickly and took him in his arms and gave him a kiss.
21 And his son said to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes: I am no longer good enough to be named your son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Get out the first robe quickly, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet:
23 And get the fat young ox and put it to death, and let us have a feast, and be glad.
24 For this, my son, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away from me, and has come back. And they were full of joy.
25 Now the older son was in the field: and when he came near the house, the sounds of music and dancing came to his ears.
26 And he sent for one of the servants, questioning him about what it might be.
27 And he said to him, Your brother has come; and your father has had the young ox put to death because he has come back safely.
28 But he was angry and would not go in; and his father came out and made a request to him to come in.
29 But he made answer and said to his father, See, all these years I have been your servant, doing your orders in everything: and you never gave me even a young goat so that I might have a feast with my friends:
30 But when this your son came, who has been wasting your property with bad women, you put to death the fat young ox for him.
31 And he said to him, Son, you are with me at all times, and all I have is yours.
32 But it was right to be glad and to have a feast; for this your brother, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away and has come back.
1 Muitas vezes vinham cobradores de impostos, e outras pessoas de conduta reprovável, para ouvirem Jesus.
2 Isto, porém, dava origem a queixas por parte dos fariseus e mestres da lei, por se misturar assim com gente condenável, chegando até a comer com eles!
3 Jesus então recorreu ao seguinte exemplo:
4 Se um homem tivesse cem ovelhas e uma delas se desgarrasse e se perdesse no deserto, não deixaria as outras noventa e nove para ir à procura da que se perdeu até a encontrar? Então, alegremente, carregá-la-ia sobre seus ombros, para casa. E, quando ali chegasse, reuniria amigos e vizinhos para se regozijar com eles, por a sua ovelha perdida ter sido achada. Semelhantemente, haverá mais felicidade no céu por causa de um pecador perdido que voltou para Deus do que por os outros noventa e nove que não se desgarraram!
8 Ou ainda: Uma mulher, por exemplo, tem dez valiosas moedas e perde uma delas em casa. Porventura não acenderá uma luz, não procurará por toda a parte, varrendo cada recanto até a achar? E depois de encontrá-la não chamará as amigas e vizinhas para que se regozijem com ela? Assim também há alegria entre os anjos de Deus quando um pecador se arrepende.
11 E contou-lhes o seguinte: Certo homem tinha dois filhos.
12 O mais novo disse ao pai: 'Dá-me agora a minha parte da herança a que tenho direito!' O pai concordou então em dividir a fortuna entre os filhos.
13 Poucos dias depois, este filho, já na posse de tudo o que lhe pertencia, partiu para uma terra distante, onde desperdiçou o dinheiro com pândegas e na má vida.
14 Ao mesmo tempo que o seu dinheiro se acabava, a terra foi assolada por uma grande fome e ele começou a passar privações.
15 Foi então ter com um lavrador que o contratou para lhe tomar conta dos porcos.
16 O jovem sentia tanta fome que até as bolotas que dava aos porcos lhe apetecia comer. Mas nem isso lhe davam.
17 Quando, por fim, caiu em si, disse consigo mesmo: 'Na casa de meu pai, até os trabalhadores têm comida em abundância e afinal eu aqui estou a morrer de fome! Vou voltar para o meu pai e dir-lhe-ei: 'Pai, pequei contra o céu e contra ti, e já nem mereço ser chamado teu filho. Peço-te que me contrates como trabalhador.'
20 Pôs-se então a caminho de casa. E ainda vinha longe, seu pai, vendo-o aproximar-se, e cheio de terna compaixão, correu ao seu encontro, abraçando-o e beijando-o. O filho disse-lhe: 'Pai, pequei contra o céu e perante ti, e já nem mereço ser chamado teu filho.'
22 Mas o pai disse aos criados: 'Depressa, tragam o manto melhor que houver em casa e vistam-lho; e ponham-lhe um anel no dedo e calçado novo! Matem o bezerro que estamos a engordar; porque vai haver grande festa, pois este meu filho estava como morto e voltou à vida; estava perdido e tornou a ser achado.' Com isto começou o banquete.
25 Entretanto, o filho mais velho, que estava no campo a trabalhar, ao voltar para casa ouviu a música da festa, e perguntou a um dos criados o que se passava.
27 'Foi o teu irmão que voltou
28 O filho mais velho ficou zangado e não queria entrar, mas o pai saiu e insistiu que o fizesse. Ele, porém, respondeu: 'Todos estes anos tenho trabalhado duramente para ti sem nunca me recusar a fazer fosse o que fosse que me mandasses, e em todo este tempo nunca me deste nem sequer um cabrito para que eu festejasse com os meus amigos.
30 Agora que volta este teu filho, depois de te gastar dinheiro na má vida, celebras o seu regresso matando o melhor bezerro que temos em casa!'
31 'Meu querido filho, eu e tu continuamos ligados e tudo o que possuo é teu. É justo, porém, que festejemos, pois o teu irmão estava como morto e tornou a viver; estava perdido e foi achado'.