LUKAS 15
Die gelykenis van die verlore skaap
(Matt. 18:12-14)
1 Die tollenaars en sondaars het almal die gewoonte gehad om na Jesus te kom luister. 2 Hierteen het die Fariseërs en die skrifgeleerdes beswaar gemaak en gesê: “Hierdie man ontvang sondaars en eet selfs saam met hulle.”
3 Toe vertel Jesus vir hulle hierdie gelykenis: 4 “Sê nou een van julle het honderd skape en een van hulle raak weg. Wat doen hy dan? Hy laat die nege en negentig in die veld staan en gaan agter die een aan wat weg is, totdat hy hom kry. 5 En as hy hom kry, is hy bly en tel hom op sy skouers. 6 As hy by die huis kom, roep hy sy vriende en bure bymekaar en sê vir hulle: ‘Wees saam met my bly, want ek het my skaap wat weg was, weer gekry.’ 7 Ek sê vir julle: Net so sal daar ook in die hemel blydskap wees oor een sondaar wat hom bekeer, eerder as oor nege en negentig mense wat reg doen en nie bekering nodig het nie.”
Die gelykenis van die verlore muntstuk
8 “Of watter vrou wat tien silwermuntstukke het en een raak weg, steek nie 'n lamp op en vee die huis uit en soek sorgvuldig totdat sy dit kry nie? 9 En as sy dit kry, roep sy haar vriendinne en buurvroue bymekaar en sê: ‘Wees saam met my bly, want ek het my geld wat weggeraak het, weer gekry.’ 10 Ek sê vir julle: Net so is daar blydskap onder die engele van God oor een sondaar wat hom bekeer.”
Die gelykenis van die verlore seun
11 Verder het Jesus gesê: “Daar was 'n man wat twee seuns gehad het. 12 Die jongste het vir sy pa gesê: ‘Pa, gee my die deel van die besittings wat my toekom.’ Hy het toe die goed tussen hulle verdeel.
13 “Nie lank daarna nie het die jongste seun alles tot geld gemaak en van die ouerhuis af na 'n ver land toe vertrek. Daar het hy sy geld verkwis deur losbandig te lewe. 14 Nadat hy alles deurgebring het, het daar 'n kwaai hongersnood in daardie land gekom, en ook hy het begin gebrek ly. 15 Hy het toe sommer by een van die mense van daardie land gaan bly, en dié het hom na sy plaas toe gestuur om varke op te pas. 16 Daar het hy gewens hy kon sy honger stil met die peule wat die varke eet, maar niemand het hom daarvan gegee nie.
17 “Toe kom hy tot inkeer en sê: ‘My pa het wie weet hoeveel dagloners, en hulle het almal oorgenoeg kos, en hier vergaan ek van die honger. 18 Ek sal dadelik na my pa toe teruggaan en vir hom sê: Pa, ek het teen God en teen Pa gesondig! 19 Ek is nie meer werd om Pa se seun genoem te word nie. Behandel my soos een van Pa se dagloners.’ 20 En hy het sonder versuim na sy pa toe teruggegaan. “Toe hy nog ver aankom, het sy pa hom al gesien en hom innig jammer gekry. Hy hardloop hom tegemoet, omhels hom en soen hom.
21 Toe sê die seun vir hom: ‘Pa, ek het teen God en teen Pa gesondig. Ek is nie meer werd om Pa se seun genoem te word nie.’t 22 Maar sy pa roep sy werksmense: ‘Maak gou! Bring klere, die beste, en trek dit vir hom aan; sit vir hom 'n ring aan sy vinger en trek vir hom skoene aan! 23 En bring die vetgemaakte kalf, slag hom, en laat ons eet en feesvier! 24 Hierdie seun van my was dood, en hy lewe weer; hy was verlore, en ek het hom teruggekry.’ Toe het hulle begin feesvier.
25 “Sy oudste seun was nog in die veld. Toe hy terugkom en naby die huis was, hoor hy die musiek en die singery. 26 Hy roep toe een van die bediendes nader en vra hom wat aan die gang is. 27 Die bediende antwoord: ‘U broer het gekom, en u pa het die vetgemaakte kalf geslag omdat hy hom behoue en gesond teruggekry het.’
28 “Toe het die oudste seun kwaad geword en hy wou nie in die huis ingaan nie. Sy pa gaan toe uit en praat mooi met hom; 29 maar hy antwoord: ‘Kyk, al die jare werk ek soos 'n slaaf vir Pa. Nog nooit het ek 'n opdrag van Pa verontagsaam nie, en vir my het Pa nog nooit eers 'n bokkie gegee sodat ek saam met my vriende kan feesvier nie. 30 Maar nou dat hierdie seun van Pa, wat Pa se goed met prostitute deurgebring het, terugkom, het Pa vir hom die vetgemaakte kalf geslag!’
31 “Toe sê die pa vir hom: ‘Kind, jy is altyd by my, en alles wat ek het, is ook joune. 32 Maar ons kan tog nie anders as om fees te vier en bly te wees nie, want hierdie broer van jou was dood, en hy lewe weer; hy was verlore, en ons het hom teruggekry.’ ”
Luke 15
1 NOW THE tax collectors and [notorious and especially wicked] sinners were all coming near to [Jesus] to listen to Him.2 And the Pharisees and the scribes kept muttering and indignantly complaining, saying, This man accepts and receives and welcomes [preeminently wicked] sinners and eats with them.3 So He told them this parable:4 What man of you, if he has a hundred sheep and should lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness (desert) and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his [own] shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he gets home, he summons together [his] friends and [his] neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost.7 Thus, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind, abhorring his errors and misdeeds, and determines to enter upon a better course of life) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.8 Or what woman, having ten [silver] drachmas [each one equal to a day’s wages], if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it?9 And when she has found it, she summons her [women] friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the silver coin which I had lost.10 Even so, I tell you, there is joy among and in the presence of the angels of God over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind for the better, heartily amending his ways, with abhorrence of his past sins).11 And He said, There was a certain man who had two sons;12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the property that falls [to me]. And he divided the estate between them. 13 And not many days after that, the younger son gathered up all that he had and journeyed into a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and loose [from restraint] living.14 And when he had spent all he had, a mighty famine came upon that country, and he began to fall behind and be in want.15 So he went and forced (glued) himself upon one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed hogs.16 And he would gladly have fed on and filled his belly with the carob pods that the hogs were eating, but [they could not satisfy his hunger and] nobody gave him anything [better]. 17 Then when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have enough food, and [even food] to spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger!18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants.20 So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].21 And 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 [I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours]!22 But the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet. 23 And bring out that [wheat-]fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry,24 Because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry.25 But his older son was in the field; and as he returned and came near the house, he heard music and dancing.26 And having called one of the servant [boys] to him, he began to ask what this meant.27 And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed that [wheat-]fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and well.28 But [the elder brother] was angry [with deep-seated wrath] and resolved not to go in. Then his father came out and began to plead with him,29 But he answered his father, Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me [so much as] a [little] kid, that I might revel and feast and be happy and make merry with my friends;30 But when this son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you have killed for him that [wheat-] fattened calf!31 And the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.32 But it was fitting to make merry, to revel and feast and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!