¹¹

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.

¹²

And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.

¹³

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

¹⁴

But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

¹⁵

Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁶

And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷

But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

¹⁸

'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

¹⁹

and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. '

²⁰

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

²¹

And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

²²

But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

²³

'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

²⁴

'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

²⁵

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶

So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

²⁷

And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'

²⁸

But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

²⁹

So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

³⁰

'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'

³¹

And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

³²

'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "