₁One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus, ₂the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!” ₃So Jesus told them this parable:

₁₁Jesus went on to say, “There was once a man who had two sons. ₁₂The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. ₁₃After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. ₁₄He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. ₁₅So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. ₁₆He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. ₁₇At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! ₁₈I will get up and go to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. ₁₉I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.’ ₂₀So he got up and started back to his father.

“He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms round his son, and kissed him. ₂₁‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ ₂₂But the father called his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. ₂₃Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! ₂₄For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.

₂₅“In the meantime the elder son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. ₂₆So he called one of the servants and asked him, ‘What's going on?’ ₂₇‘Your brother has come back home,’ the servant answered, ‘and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.’

₂₈“The elder brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. ₂₉But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! ₃₀But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’ ₃₁‘My son,’ the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. ₃₂But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ ”