15 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2 The Pharisees and religious teachers complained, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
    3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and loses one, would he not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go looking for the lost one until he finds it?  5 When he finds it, he puts it on his shoulders with joy. 6 When he gets home he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Celebrate with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 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 upright people who do not need to repent.
    8 “Or if a woman has ten silver coins and loses one, would she not light a lamp, sweep the house, and look carefully until she finds it?  9 When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Celebrate with me, because I found the coin that I lost.’ 10 I am telling you that there is joy just like this among God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
    11 Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.  12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, please give me my inheritance early.’ So the man divided what he had between them.  13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and left for a distant country. There he wasted all his wealth by living a wild life.  14 When he had spent all he had, a severe famine took place in that country, and he started to be in need. 15 So he went and got a job from one of the landowners there, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  16 He was so hungry that he would have eaten the seed pods which the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  17 When he came to his senses he said to himself, ‘How many of my father’s workers have more than enough to eat, and I am here dying of hunger?  18 I am going to get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please hire me as one of your workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. When he was still a long way away, his father saw him and his heart went out to his son. He ran and hugged him and kissed him.  21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Bring the calf we have been fattening up and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate,  24 because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ So they started celebrating.
    25 “Now the older son was out in the fields, and as he headed towards the house, he heard music and dancing.
    26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening. 27 ‘Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has come back safe and well,’ the servant said to him. 28 But the brother became angry and refused to go in, so his father came out and encouraged him to join them.  29 He answered his father, ‘Look, I have served you all these years and never disobeyed any of your commands, but you never gave me even a young goat to have a party with my friends. 30 But this son of yours comes back, who has spent your money on prostitutes, and you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 His father said to him, ‘Son, you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours.  32 But we had to celebrate and be happy now, because this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and has been found.’”