1. The tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
2. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3. Then Jesus told them a story.
4. He said, "Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won't he leave the 99 in the open country? Won't he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it?
5. When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders
6. and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.'
7. "I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins.
8. "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She will light a lamp and sweep the house. She will search carefully until she finds the coin.
9. And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, 'Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.'
10. "I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin."
11. Jesus continued, "There was a man who had two sons.
12. The younger son spoke to his father. He said, 'Father, give me my share of the family property.' So the father divided his property between his two sons.
13. "Not long after that, the younger son packed up all he had. Then he left for a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living.
14. He spent everything he had. "Then the whole country ran low on food. So the son didn't have what he needed.
15. He went to work for someone who lived in that country, who sent him to the fields to feed the pigs.
16. The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything.