Bilingual reading

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.

The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”

He told them this parable:

“Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?

When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?

When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’

Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”

He said, “A certain man had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

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

I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

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

Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

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

But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

“He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

وكانَ الجُباةُ والخاطِئونَ يَدنونَ مِنه جَميعًا لِيَستَمِعوا إِلَيه

فكانَ الفِرِّيسِيُّونَ والكَتَبَةُ يَتَذَمَّرونَ فيَقولون: «هٰذا الرَّجُلُ يَستَقبِلُ الخاطِئينَ ويَأكُلُ مَعَهم!»

فضَرَبَ لَهم هٰذا المَثَلَ قال

«أَيُّ ٱمرِئٍ مِنكُم إِذا كانَ لَه مائةُ خروف فأَضاعَ واحِدًا مِنها، لا يَترُكُ التِّسعَةَ والتِّسعينَ في البَرِّيَّة، ويَسْعى إِلى الضَّالِ حتَّى يَجِدَه؟

فإِذا وَجدَه حَمَله على كَتِفَيهِ فَرِحًا

ورجَعَ بِه إِلى البَيت ودَعا الأَصدِقاءَ والجيرانَ وقالَ لَهم: إِفرَحوا معي، فَقد وَجَدتُ خَروفيَ الضَّالّ!

أَقولُ لَكم: هٰكذا يكونُ الفَرَحُ في السَّماءِ بِخاطِئٍ واحِدٍ يَتوبُ أَكثَرَ مِنه بِتِسعَةٍ وتِسعينَ مِنَ الأَبرارِ لا يَحتاجونَ إِلى التَّوبَة

«أَم أَيَّةُ ٱمرَأَةٍ إِذا كانَ عِندَها عَشرَةُ دَراهِم، فأَضاعَت دِرهَمًا واحِدًا، لا تُوقِدُ سِراجًا وتَكنُسُ البَيت وتَجِدُّ في البَحثِ عنه حتَّى تَجِدَه؟

فإِذا وَجَدَتهُ دَعَتِ الصَّديقاتِ والجاراتِ وقالت: إِفرَحْنَ معي، فقد وَجَدتُ دِرهَمِيَ الَّذي أَضَعتُه!

أَقولُ لَكم: هٰكذا يَفرَحُ مَلائِكَةُ اللهِ بِخاطِئٍ واحِدٍ يَتوب»

وقال: «كانَ لِرَجُلٍ ٱبنان

فقالَ أَصغَرُهما لِأَبيه: يا أَبَتِ أَعطِني النَّصيبَ الَّذي يَعودُ علَيَّ مِنَ المال. فقَسَمَ مالَه بَينَهما

وبَعدَ بِضعَةِ أَيَّامٍ جَمَعَ الِٱبنُ الأَصغَرُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ لَه، وسافَرَ إِلى بَلَدٍ بَعيد، فَبدَّدَ مالَه هُناكَ في عيشَةِ إِسراف

فَلَمَّا أَنفَقَ كُلَّ شَيء، أَصابَت ذٰلكَ البَلَدَ مَجاعَةٌ شَديدة، فأَخَذَ يَشْكو العَوَز

ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ فٱلتَحَقَ بِرَجُلٍ مِن أَهلِ ذٰلكَ البَلَد، فأَرسَلَه إِلى حُقولِه يَرْعى الخَنازير

وكانَ يَشتَهي أَن يَملَأَ بَطنَه مِنَ الخُرنوبِ الَّذي كانتِ الخَنازيرُ تَأكُلُه، فلا يُعطيهِ أَحَد

فرَجَعَ إِلى نَفسِه وقال: كم أَجيرٍ لِأَبي يَفضُلُ عنه الخُبْزُ وأَنا أَهلِكُ هُنا جُوعًا!

أَقومُ وأَمضي إِلى أَبي فأَقولُ لَه: يا أَبَتِ إِنِّي خَطِئتُ إِلى السَّماءِ وإِلَيكَ

ولَستُ أَهْلًا بَعدَ ذٰلك لِأَن أُدْعى لَكَ ٱبنًا، فٱجعَلْني كأَحَدِ أُجَرائِكَ

فقامَ ومَضى إِلى أَبيه. وكانَ لم يَزَلْ بَعيدًا إِذ رآه أَبوه، فتَحَرَّكَت أَحْشاؤُه وأَسرَعَ فأَلْقى بِنَفسِه على عُنُقِه وقَبَّلَه طَويلًا

فقالَ لَه الِٱبْن: يا أَبَتِ، إِنِّي خَطِئتُ إِلى السَّماءِ وإِلَيكَ، ولَستُ أَهْلًا بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ لِأَن أُدْعى لَكَ ٱبنًا

فقالَ الأَبُ لِخَدَمِه: أَسرِعوا فأتوا بِأَفخَرِ حُلَّةٍ وأَلبِسوه، وٱجعَلوا في إِصبَعِه خاتَمًا وفي قَدَمَيه حِذاءً

وأتوا بِالعِجْلِ المُسَمَّن وٱذبَحوه فنأكُلَ ونَتَنَعَّم

لِأَنَّ ٱبنِي هٰذا كانَ مَيتًا فعاش، وكانَ ضالًّا فوُجِد. فأَخذوا يتَنعَّمون

وكانَ ٱبنُه الأَكبَرُ في الحَقْل، فلمَّا رَجَعَ وٱقتَرَبَ مِنَ الدَّار، سَمِعَ غِناءً ورَقْصًا

فدَعا أَحَدَ الخَدَمِ وٱستَخبَرَ ما عَسَى أَن يَكونَ ذٰلك

فقالَ لَه: قَدِمَ أَخوكَ فذَبَحَ أَبوكَ العِجْلَ المُسَمَّن لِأَنَّه لَقِيَه سالِمًا

فغَضِبَ وأَبى أَن يَدخُل. فَخَرَجَ إِلَيه أَبوهُ يَسأَلُه أَن يَدخُل

فأَجابَ أَباه: ها إِنِّي أَخدُمُكَ مُنذُ سِنينَ طِوال، وما عَصَيتُ لَكَ أَمرًا قَطّ، فما أَعطَيتَني جَدْيًا واحِدًا لِأَتَنَعَّمَ بِه مع أَصدِقائي

ولمَّا قَدِمَ ٱبنُكَ هٰذا الَّذي أَكَلَ مالَكَ مع البَغايا، ذَبَحتَ له العِجْلَ المُسَمَّن!

فقالَ له: يا بُنَيَّ، أَنتَ مَعي دائمًا أَبدًا، وجَميعُ ما هو لي فهُو لَكَ

ولٰكِن قد وَجَبَ أَن نَتَنَعَّمَ ونَفرَح، لأَنَّ أَخاكَ هٰذا كانَ مَيتًا فعاش، وكانَ ضالًّا فوُجِد»