7. Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to.”
8. Jesus told the people another story:What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it?
9. Then she will call in her friends and neighbours and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found the coin I lost.”
10. Jesus said, “In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”
11. Jesus also told them another story:Once a man had two sons.
12. The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons.
13. Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living.
14. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.
15. He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs.
16. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing.
17. Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death!
18. I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’ ”
20. The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.
21. The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”
22. But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.