¹And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to him to hear him;

¹Zvino kwakaswedera kwaari vateresi nevatadzi vose, kuzomunzwa.

²and the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This [man] receives sinners and eats with them.

²VaFarisi nevanyori vakatsutsumwa vachiti: Uyu unogamuchira vatadzi, achidya navo.

³And he spoke to them this parable, saying,

³Zvino wakavaudza mufananidzo uyu, achiti:

⁴What man of you having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

⁴Ndeupi munhu kwamuri ungati ane makwai zana, kana arashikirwa nerimwe rawo, usingasii makumi mapfumbamwe nemapfumbamwe murenje, akatevera rakarashika kusvikira ariwana?

⁵and having found it, he lays it upon his own shoulders, rejoicing;

⁵Uye kana ariwana, unoriisa pamafudzi ake achifara.

⁶and being come to the house, calls together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.

⁶Zvino kana asvika kumusha, unodana pamwe shamwari nevavakidzani, achiti kwavari: Farai neni, nekuti ndawana gwai rangu rakange rarashika.

⁷I say unto you, that thus there shall be joy in heaven for one repenting sinner, [more] than for ninety and nine righteous who have no need of repentance.

⁷Ndinoti kwamuri: Saizvozvo mufaro uchava kudenga pamusoro pemutadzi umwe unotendeuka, kupfuura pamusoro pevakarurama makumi mapfumbamwe nevapfumbamwe, vasingatsvaki kutendeuka.

⁸Or, what woman having ten drachmas, if she lose one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully till she find it?

⁸Kana ndeupi mukadzi une makobiri gumi, kana arashikirwa nekobiri rimwe, usingatungidzi mwenje, akatsvaira imba, akatsvakisisa kusvikira ariwana?

⁹and having found it she calls together the friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.

⁹Uye kana ariwana, unodana shamwari nevavakidzani pamwe, achiti: Farai neni, nekuti ndawana kobiri randanga ndarashikirwa naro.

¹⁰Thus, I say unto you, there is joy before the angels of God for one repenting sinner.

¹⁰Saizvozvo, ndinokutaurirai, kuti mufaro uripo pamberi pevatumwa vaMwari pamusoro pemutadzi umwe unotendeuka.

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

¹¹Zvino wakati: Umwe munhu waiva ane vanakomana vaviri;

¹²and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give to me the share of the property that falls [to me]. And he divided to them what he was possessed of.

¹²muduku wavo ndokuti kuna baba: Baba, ndipei mugove wenhumbi wakanangana neni. Akavagovera nhumbi dzake.

¹³And after not many days the younger son gathering all together went away into a country a long way off, and there dissipated his property, living in debauchery.

¹³Pasina kupfuura mazuva mazhinji, mwanakomana muduku wakaunganidza zvose pamwe, akasimuka akaenda kunyika iri kure; uye akaparadza ikoko nhaka yake, achirarama neunzenza.

¹⁴But when he had spent all there arose a violent famine throughout that country, and he began to be in want.

¹⁴Zvino wakati aparadza zvose, kwakauya nzara huru panyika iyo, iye akatanga kushaiwa.

¹⁵And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁵Zvino wakaenda, akanozvibatanidza neumwe wezvizvarwa zvenyika iyo; akamutumira kuminda yake kunofudza nguruve.

¹⁶And he longed to fill his belly with the husks which the swine were eating; and no one gave to him.

¹⁶Wakange achishuva kugutsa dumbu rake nemateko nguruve adzaidya; asi hakuna munhu waimupa.

¹⁷And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have abundance of bread, and *I* perish here by famine.

¹⁷Zvino wakati apengenuka, akati: Varikichi vazhinji sei vababa vangu vane zvingwa zvakawandisisa, asi ini ndofa nenzara.

¹⁸I will rise up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee;

¹⁸Ndichasimuka ndiende kuna baba vangu, ndigoti kwavari: Baba, ndakatadzira kudenga, nepamberi penyu;

¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

¹⁹uye handichafaniri kunzi mwanakomana wenyu; ndiitei seumwe wevarikichi venyu.

²⁰And he rose up and went to his own father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck, and covered him with kisses.

²⁰Akasimuka akaenda kuna baba vake. Asi wakati achiri kure, baba vake vakamuona, vakanzwa tsitsi, vakamhanya ndokuwira pahuro pake, nekumutsvoda.

²¹And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.

²¹Zvino mwanakomana akati kwavari: Baba, ndakatadzira kudenga nepamberi penyu, uye handichafaniri kunzi mwanakomana wenyu.

²²But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in [it], and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

²²Asi baba vakati kuvaranda vavo: Budai nenguvo yakanakisisa mumupfekedze, muise mhete paruoko rwake, nemanyatera patsoka;

²³and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry:

²³muuye nemhuru yakakodzwa, mubaye, uye ngatidye tifare;

²⁴for this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found. And they began to make merry.

²⁴nekuti uyu mwanakomana wangu wakange afa, zvino wararamazve; wakange arashika, asi wawanikwa; zvino vakatanga kufara.

²⁵And his elder son was in the field; and as, coming [up], he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁵Zvino mwanakomana wake mukuru wakange ari kumunda; zvino wakati achisvika, oswedera paimba, akanzwa mumhanzi nekutamba.

²⁶And having called one of the servants, he inquired what these things might be.

²⁶Zvino wakadanira kwaari umwe wevaranda, akabvunza kuti izvi zvinorevei.

²⁷And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well.

²⁷Zvino akati kwaari: Munin'ina wako wasvika; zvino baba vako vabaya mhuru yakakodzwa, nekuti vamugamuchira akagwinya.

²⁸But he became angry and would not go in. And his father went out and besought him.

²⁸Asi wakatsamwa, akasada kupinda; naizvozvo baba vake vakabuda, vakamukumbirisa.

²⁹But he answering said to his father, Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends:

²⁹Asi iye wakapindura akati kuna baba: Tarirai, makore mazhinji ndakakubatirai, handina kutongodarika murairo wenyu, asi hamuna kutongondipa mbudzana, kuti ndifare neshamwari dzangu.

³⁰but when this thy son, who has devoured thy substance with harlots, is come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

³⁰Asi mangoti mwanakomana wenyu uyu wakaparadza nhumbi dzenyu nezvifeve achisvika, mamubaira mhuru yakakodzwa.

³¹But he said to him, Child, *thou* art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine.

³¹Vakati kwaari: Mwana, iwe uneni nguva dzose, uye zvose zvangu ndezvako.

³²But it was right to make merry and rejoice, because this thy brother was dead and has come to life again, and was lost and has been found.

³²Asi kwaifanira kuti kupemberwe nekufarwa, nekuti munin'ina wako uyu wakange afa, wararamazve; wakange arashika, wawanikwa.