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Parables For Sinners And Pharisees

15 Now all the tax-collectors and the sinners were drawing-near to Him to hear Him. ² And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying that “This One is welcoming sinners and eating with them”.

The Lost Sheep And Lost Coin: Heaven Rejoices When a Sinner Repents

³ And He spoke this parable to them, saying ⁴ “What man from-among you having a hundred sheep and having lost one of them, does not leave-behind the ninety nine in the wilderness and proceed after the one having become-lost until he finds it? ⁵ And having found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And having come to the house, he calls-together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice-with me, because I found my lost sheep!’ ⁷ I say to you that in this manner there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting more-than^[a] over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance. ⁸ Or what woman having ten drachmas^[b], if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully until which time she finds it ? ⁹ And having found it, she calls together her women friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice-with me, because I found the drachma which I lost!’ ¹⁰ In this manner, I say to you, joy comes-about in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting”.

The Prodigal Son: The Father Rejoices When His Lost Son Returns

¹¹ And He said, “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the part of your substance^[c] falling to me’. And the one distributed^[d] his property to them. ¹³ And after not many days, having gathered together everything, the younger son went-on-a-journey to a distant country. And there he squandered his substance living wildly. ¹⁴ And he having spent everything, a severe famine came about in relation to that country, and he began to be-in-need. ¹⁵ And having gone, he joined himself to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was desiring to be filled-to-satisfaction with the carob-pods which the pigs were eating. And no one was giving anything to him. ¹⁷ But having come to himself, he said, ‘How many hired-workers of my father are abounding^[e] with bread, but I am perishing^[f] here in a famine! ¹⁸ Having arisen, I will proceed to my father and say to him, “Father, I sinned against heaven and in your sight. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired-workers”’. ²⁰ And having arisen, he went to his father. But he still being far distant, his father saw him and felt-deep-feelings [of love]. And having run, he fell upon his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’. ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring-out the best robe and put it on him. And give him a ring for his hand and sandals for the feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf. Slaughter it. And having eaten, let us celebrate! ²⁴ Because this son of mine was dead, and he became-alive-again. He had become-lost, and he was found’. And they began to celebrate.

The Older Brother Is Angered By His Father’s Joy

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field. And when while coming he drew-near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And having summoned one of the servants, he was inquiring as to what these things might be. ²⁷ And the one said to him that ‘Your brother has come. And your father slaughtered the fatted calf because he received him back being healthy’. ²⁸ And he became-angry, and was not willing to go in. And his father, having come out, was appealing-to him. ²⁹ But the one, having responded, said to his father, ‘Behold— I am slaving for you for so many years, and I never disregarded your command. And you never gave me a goat in order that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came— the one having devoured your property with prostitutes— you slaughtered the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹ And the one said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all my things are yours. ³² But it-was-necessary to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and he became-alive. And he had become-lost, and he was found’”.

The Unrighteous Steward: Use Earthly Money For Heavenly Gain

16 And He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward^[g]. And this one was accused to him as squandering his possessions. ² And having called him, he said to him, ‘What is this I am hearing about you? Render the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward’. ³ And the steward said within himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking-away the stewardship^[h] from me? I am not strong-enough to dig. I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I will do so that they will welcome me into their houses when I am removed from the stewardship’. ⁵ And having summoned each one of the debtors of his master, he was saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my master?’ ⁶ And the one said, ‘A hundred baths^[i] of olive-oil’. And the one said to him, ‘Take your writings^[j], and having sat-down quickly, write fifty’. ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And the one said, ‘A hundred cor^[k] of wheat’. He says to him, ‘Take your writings, and write eighty’. ⁸ And the master praised the unrighteous steward because he acted shrewdly^[l]. Because the sons of ^[m] this age are more shrewd in-relation-to their own kind than the sons of the light. ⁹ And I say to you— make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails^[n] they^[o] will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. ¹⁰ The one trustworthy^[p] in a very-little thing is also trustworthy in much. And the one unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true^[q] thing to you? ¹² And if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with the thing belonging to another^[r], who will give you your own thing? ¹³ No household-servant can be serving^[s] two masters. For either he will hate^[t] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and disregard the other. You cannot be serving God and wealth^[u]”.

Jesus Rebukes The Pharisees: The Thing You Highly Value Is Worthless To God

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, being money-lovers, were listening-to all these things, and they were sneering-at^[v] Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are the ones declaring yourselves righteous in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts— because the highly-valued thing among people is an abomination^[w] in the sight of God. ¹⁶ The Law and the Prophets were until John. From that time on, the kingdom of God is being announced-as-good-news, and everyone is forcing-himself ^[x] into it. ¹⁷ But it is easier that the heaven and the earth should pass away than that one stroke^[y] of the Law should fail. ¹⁸ Everyone sending-away^[z] his wife and marrying another is committing-adultery. And the one marrying one having been sent-away from her husband is committing-adultery.

The Rich Man And Lazarus: What God Values Is What Matters

¹⁹ “Now there was a certain rich man. And he was dressing himself in purple and fine-linen, radiantly enjoying-himself daily. ²⁰ And a certain poor man, Lazarus by name, had been put at his gate— having been covered-with-sores, ²¹ and desiring to be filled-to-satisfaction by the things falling from the table of the rich man. Even^[aa] indeed the dogs coming were licking his sores. ²² And it came about that the poor man died and he was carried-away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And having lifted-up his eyes in Hades while being in torments, he sees Abraham from a-distance, and Lazarus in his bosom^[ab]. ²⁴ And he, having called, said, ‘Father Abraham, have-mercy-on me and send Lazarus in order that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool-off my tongue, because I am suffering-pain in this flame’. ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus the bad things. But now, here, he is being comforted and you are suffering-pain. ²⁶ And in all these regions, a great chasm has been fixed^[ac] between us and you^[ad], so that the ones wanting to cross from here to you are not able, nor may they cross-over from there to us’. ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, that you send him to the house of my father— ²⁸ for I have five brothers— so that he may solemnly-warn them in order that they also might not come to this place of torment’. ²⁹ But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen-to them’. ³⁰ But the one said, ‘No, father Abraham. But if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent’. ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen-to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises-up from the dead’”.