The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10–14)
1 UST Now, many tax collectors and other people whom the religious leaders considered to be sinners kept coming to Jesus to listen to him teach. BSB BSB: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
2 UST { When} the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish laws{ saw this, they} began to grumble. They said,“This man welcomes sinners and even eats with them.”{ They thought Jesus was defiling himself by doing that.} BSB BSB: So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 UST So Jesus told them this parable: BSB BSB: Then Jesus told them this parable:
4 UST “Suppose that one of you had 100 sheep and you lost one of them. Certainly you would leave the 99 other sheep in the wilderness and go search for the lost sheep until you had found it. BSB BSB: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
5 UST When you found it, you would joyfully put it on your shoulders to carry it home. BSB BSB: And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,
6 UST Then when you arrived home, you would call together your friends and neighbors and say to them:‘Be joyful with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ BSB BSB: comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’
7 UST You should know that, in a similar way, there is great joy among those in heaven when one sinner repents from his sins. That joy is greater than their joy over many people who are already right with God and do not need to repent. BSB BSB: 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 ones who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin 8 UST Or suppose that a woman had ten valuable silver coins but lost one of them. Certainly she would light a lamp and sweep the floor and search carefully until she found it. BSB BSB: Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9 UST When she found it, she would call together her friends and neighbors and say to them,‘Be very happy with me, because I have found the coin that I lost!’ BSB BSB: And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’
10 UST I tell you that, in a similar way, there is much joy among the angels of God when one sinner repents from his sins.” BSB BSB: In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Deuteronomy 21:18–21)
12 UST One day the younger son said to his father,‘Father, give me now the share of your property that I would otherwise have received when you died.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons. BSB BSB: The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 UST Only a few days later, the younger son gathered together all that he owned and traveled to a country far away. There in that country he spent all his money foolishly in wasteful, immoral living. BSB BSB: After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 UST After he had spent all his money, there was a severe famine throughout that country. Soon he did not have anything left to live on. BSB BSB: After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.
15 UST So he went to a man who lived in that country and asked him to hire him. So the man sent him out to his fields to feed his pigs. BSB BSB: So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
16 UST { He became so hungry that} he wished he could eat the bean pods that the pigs ate, yet no one gave him anything. BSB BSB: He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.
17 UST Finally he began to think clearly about how foolish he had been, and he said to himself:‘All of my father’ s hired servants have more than enough food to eat, but here I am dying because I do not have anything to eat! BSB BSB: Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death!
18 UST So I will leave here and go back to my father. I will say to him,“Father, I have sinned against God and against you. BSB BSB: I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 UST I do not deserve to have you consider me your son any more. Please let me work for you as one of your hired servants.”’ BSB BSB: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 UST So he left there and started traveling back to his father’ s house. But while he was still a great distance from the house, his father saw him and felt deep compassion for him. He ran to his son and embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. BSB BSB: So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
21 UST His son said to him,‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. So I do not deserve to have you consider me your son any more.’ BSB BSB: The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 UST But his father said to his servants;‘Go quickly and bring my best robe and put it on my son. Also put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet! BSB BSB: But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 UST And bring the calf that we have fattened for a special occasion and kill it, so that we can eat it and celebrate! BSB BSB: Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.
24 UST We need to celebrate because this son of mine was like a dead man, but he is now alive again! He was like a lost person, but we have found him again!’ So they all began to celebrate. BSB BSB: For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
25 UST { While all that was happening,} the father’ s older son was out working in the fields.{ After he finished working,} he headed home. As he was getting close to the house, he heard people playing music and dancing. BSB BSB: Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 UST He called for one of the servants and asked what was happening. BSB BSB: So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
27 UST The servant said to him,‘Your brother has come home. Your father told us to kill the fattened calf to celebrate because your brother returned safe and healthy.’ BSB BSB: ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 UST But the older brother was angry and did not want to join the celebration. So his father came out and pleaded with him to come in. BSB BSB: The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
29 UST But he replied to his father,‘Listen! For all these years I have worked as hard as a slave for you. I have always obeyed everything you told me to do. But you have never given me so much as a young goat that I could use to host a feast for my friends. BSB BSB: But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 UST But now that this son of yours has come back home, after wasting all your money on prostitutes, you have told your servants to kill the fattened calf for a celebration!’ BSB BSB: But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 UST But his father said to him,‘My son, you are always with me, and all that I own is yours. BSB BSB: ‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours.
32 UST But it is right for us to celebrate and rejoice, because it is as though your brother was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and we have him found again!’” BSB BSB: But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”