¹وكان جميع العشارين والخطاة يدنون منه ليسمعوه.

¹And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming nigh to him, to hear him,

²فتذمر الفريسيون والكتبة قائلين هذا يقبل خطاة وياكل معهم.

²and the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying — This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.`

³فكلمهم بهذا المثل قائلا

³And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

⁴اي انسان منكم له مئة خروف واضاع واحدا منها ألا يترك التسعة والتسعين في البرية ويذهب لاجل الضال حتى يجده.

⁴`What man of you having a hundred sheep, and having lost one out of them, doth not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go on after the lost one, till he may find it?

⁵واذا وجده يضعه على منكبيه فرحا.

⁵and having found, he doth lay [it] on his shoulders rejoicing,

⁶ويأتي الى بيته ويدعو الاصدقاء والجيران قائلا لهم افرحوا معي لاني وجدت خروفي الضال.

⁶and having come to the house, he doth call together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep — the lost one.

⁷اقول لكم انه هكذا يكون فرح في السماء بخاطئ واحد يتوب اكثر من تسعة وتسعين بارا لا يحتاجون الى توبة.

⁷`I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.

⁸او اية امرأة لها عشرة دراهم ان اضاعت درهما واحدا ألا توقد سراجا وتكنس البيت وتفتش باجتهاد حتى تجده.

⁸`Or what woman having ten drachms, if she may lose one drachm, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek carefully till that she may find?

⁹واذا وجدته تدعو الصديقات والجارات قائلة افرحن معي لاني وجدت الدرهم الذي اضعته.

⁹and having found, she doth call together the female friends and the neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I found the drachm that I lost.

¹⁰هكذا اقول لكم يكون فرح قدام ملائكة الله بخاطئ واحد يتوب

¹⁰`So I say to you, joy doth come before the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.`

¹¹وقال. انسان كان له ابنان.

¹¹And he said, `A certain man had two sons,

¹²فقال اصغرهما لابيه يا ابي اعطني القسم الذي يصيبني من المال. فقسم لهما معيشته.

¹²and the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of the substance falling to [me], and he divided to them the living.

¹³وبعد ايام ليست بكثيرة جمع الابن الاصغر كل شيء وسافر الى كورة بعيدة وهناك بذّر ماله بعيش مسرف.

¹³`And not many days after, having gathered all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he scattered his substance, living riotously;

¹⁴فلما انفق كل شيء حدث جوع شديد في تلك الكورة فابتدأ يحتاج.

¹⁴and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want;

¹⁵فمضى والتصق بواحد من اهل تلك الكورة فارسله الى حقوله ليرعى خنازير.

¹⁵and having gone on, he joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to the fields to feed swine,

¹⁶وكان يشتهي ان يملأ بطنه من الخرنوب الذي كانت الخنازير تأكله. فلم يعطه احد.

¹⁶and he was desirous to fill his belly from the husks that the swine were eating, and no one was giving to him.

¹⁷فرجع الى نفسه وقال كم من اجير لابي يفضل عنه الخبز وانا اهلك جوعا.

¹⁷`And having come to himself, he said, How many hirelings of my father have a superabundance of bread, and I here with hunger am perishing!

¹⁸اقوم واذهب الى ابي واقول له يا ابي اخطأت الى السماء وقدامك.

¹⁸having risen, I will go on unto my father, and will say to him, Father, I did sin — to the heaven, and before thee,

¹⁹ولست مستحقا بعد ان ادعى لك ابنا. اجعلني كاحد اجراك.

¹⁹and no more am I worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hirelings.

²⁰فقام وجاء الى ابيه. واذ كان لم يزل بعيدا رآه ابوه فتحنن وركض ووقع على عنقه وقبّله.

²⁰`And having risen, he went unto his own father, and he being yet far distant, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and having ran he fell upon his neck and kissed him;

²¹فقال له الابن يا ابي اخطأت الى السماء وقدامك ولست مستحقا بعد ان أدعى لك ابنا.

²¹and the son said to him, Father, I did sin — to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy son.

²²فقال الاب لعبيده اخرجوا الحلّة الاولى والبسوه واجعلوا خاتما في يده وحذاء في رجليه.

²²`And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the first robe, and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and sandals for the feet;

²³وقدّموا العجل المسمن واذبحوه فنأكل ونفرح.

²³and having brought the fatted calf, kill [it], and having eaten, we may be merry,

²⁴لان ابني هذا كان ميتا فعاش وكان ضالا فوجد. فابتدأوا يفرحون.

²⁴because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.

²⁵وكان ابنه الاكبر في الحقل. فلما جاء وقرب من البيت سمع صوت آلات طرب ورقصا.

²⁵`And his elder son was in a field, and as, coming, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing,

²⁶فدعا واحدا من الغلمان وسأله ما عسى ان يكون هذا.

²⁶and having called near one of the young men, he was inquiring what these things might be,

²⁷فقال له. اخوك جاء فذبح ابوك العجل المسمن لانه قبله سالما.

²⁷and he said to him — Thy brother is arrived, and thy father did kill the fatted calf, because in health he did receive him back.

²⁸فغضب ولم يرد ان يدخل. فخرج ابوه يطلب اليه.

²⁸`And he was angry, and would not go in, therefore his father, having come forth, was entreating him;

²⁹فاجاب وقال لابيه ها انا اخدمك سنين هذا عددها وقط لم اتجاوز وصيتك وجديا لم تعطني قط لافرح مع اصدقائي.

²⁹and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;

³⁰ولكن لما جاء ابنك هذا الذي اكل معيشتك مع الزواني ذبحت له العجل المسمن.

³⁰but when thy son — this one who did devour thy living with harlots — came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf.

³¹فقال له يا بنيّ انت معي في كل حين وكل ما لي فهو لك.

³¹`And he said to him, Child, thou art always with me, and all my things are thine;

³²ولكن كان ينبغي ان نفرح ونسرّ لان اخاك هذا كان ميتا فعاش وكان ضالا فوجد

³²but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.`