¹Zvino kwakaswedera kwaari vateresi nevatadzi vose, kuzomunzwa.

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

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

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

³Zvino wakavaudza mufananidzo uyu, achiti:

³And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

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

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?

⁵Uye kana ariwana, unoriisa pamafudzi ake achifara.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

¹¹Zvino wakati: Umwe munhu waiva ane vanakomana vaviri;

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

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

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.

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

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;

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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

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.

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

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;

²³muuye nemhuru yakakodzwa, mubaye, uye ngatidye tifare;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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;

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

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

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

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

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

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.`