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Luke · Bible in Basic English

Luke 15 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 Now all the tax-farmers and sinners came near to give ear to him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, This man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them. 3 And he made a story for them, saying, 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if one of them gets loose and goes away, will not let the ninety-nine be in the waste land by themselves, and go after the wandering one, till he sees where it is? 5 And when he has got it again, he takes it in his arms with joy. 6 And when he gets back to his house, he sends for his neighbours and friends, saying to them, Be glad with me, for I have got back my sheep which had gone away. 7 I say to you that even so there will be more joy in heaven when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing, than for ninety-nine good men, who have no need of a change of heart. 8 Or what woman, having ten bits of silver, if one bit has gone from her hands, will not get a light, and go through her house, searching with care till she sees it? 9 And when she has it again, she gets her friends and neighbours together, saying, Be glad with me, for I have got back the bit of silver which had gone from me. 10 Even so, I say to you, There is joy among the angels of God, when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing. 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them. 13 And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living. 14 And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need. 15 And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food. 16 And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes: 19 I am no longer good enough to be named your son: make me like one of your servants. 20 And he got up and went to his father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with pity for him and went quickly and took him in his arms and gave him a kiss. 21 And his son said to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes: I am no longer good enough to be named your son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Get out the first robe quickly, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet: 23 And get the fat young ox and put it to death, and let us have a feast, and be glad. 24 For this, my son, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away from me, and has come back. And they were full of joy. 25 Now the older son was in the field: and when he came near the house, the sounds of music and dancing came to his ears. 26 And he sent for one of the servants, questioning him about what it might be. 27 And he said to him, Your brother has come; and your father has had the young ox put to death because he has come back safely. 28 But he was angry and would not go in; and his father came out and made a request to him to come in. 29 But he made answer and said to his father, See, all these years I have been your servant, doing your orders in everything: and you never gave me even a young goat so that I might have a feast with my friends: 30 But when this your son came, who has been wasting your property with bad women, you put to death the fat young ox for him. 31 And he said to him, Son, you are with me at all times, and all I have is yours. 32 But it was right to be glad and to have a feast; for this your brother, who was dead, is living again; he had gone away and has come back.

Cross references (29)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 1 Timothy 1:15; Matthew 9:10–13; Luke 5:29–32; Matthew 21:28–31; Ezekiel 18:27
  2. 2 Matthew 9:11; Luke 7:39; Luke 19:7; Luke 5:30; Acts 11:3
  3. 4 Ezekiel 34:16; Ezekiel 34:11–12; Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 19:10; 1 Peter 2:25
  4. 5 Hebrews 12:2; Isaiah 46:3–4; Luke 19:9; Micah 7:18; Isaiah 40:10–11
  5. 6 Luke 15:10; Luke 15:24; 1 Peter 2:25; Psalm 119:176; John 15:14
  6. 7 Luke 15:10; Luke 5:32; Luke 15:32; Matthew 18:13; Proverbs 30:12
  7. 8 Ezekiel 34:12; Luke 19:10; John 10:16; John 11:52; Ephesians 2:17
  8. 9 Luke 15:6–7
  9. 10 Luke 15:7; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ezekiel 18:23; Luke 13:5
  10. 12 Deuteronomy 21:16–17; Mark 12:44; Psalm 17:14; Luke 15:30
  11. 13 Proverbs 21:17; Proverbs 29:3; Jeremiah 2:5; Proverbs 23:19–22; Luke 15:30
  12. 14 2 Chronicles 33:11; Ezekiel 16:27; Hosea 2:9–14; Amos 8:9–12
  13. 15 Titus 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Isaiah 1:5; Nahum 3:6; Jeremiah 5:3
  14. 16 Romans 6:19–21; Hosea 12:1; Isaiah 44:20; Lamentations 4:5; Jonah 2:2–8
  15. 17 Ezekiel 18:28; Ephesians 2:4–5; Luke 15:18–19; Ephesians 5:14; Acts 16:29–30
  16. 18 Lamentations 3:40; 1 John 1:8–10; Luke 15:21; Luke 18:13; Psalm 51:3–5
  17. 19 Job 42:6; Psalm 84:10; 1 Peter 5:6; James 4:8–10; Joshua 9:24–25
  18. 20 Psalm 103:10–13; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 86:15; Ephesians 2:13; Isaiah 49:15
  19. 21 Psalm 51:4; Luke 15:18–19; Jeremiah 3:13; 1 Corinthians 8:12; Romans 2:4
  20. 22 Esther 8:2; Genesis 41:42; Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 6:11; Esther 3:10
  21. 23 Matthew 22:2–14; Psalm 63:5; Isaiah 25:6; Genesis 18:7; Isaiah 65:13–14
  22. 24 Ephesians 2:5; Ezekiel 34:16; Luke 19:10; Colossians 2:13; Luke 15:4
  23. 25 Psalm 150:4; Jeremiah 31:4; Luke 15:11–12; Psalm 126:1; Luke 7:32
  24. 27 Luke 15:30; Philemon 16; Acts 22:13; Acts 9:17
  25. 28 1 Samuel 18:8; Jonah 4:9; Genesis 4:5–7; Luke 15:2; Luke 7:39
  26. 29 Luke 15:7; Zechariah 7:3; Luke 18:11–12; Malachi 3:14; Luke 18:20–21
  27. 30 Luke 15:12–13; Proverbs 29:3; Luke 18:11; Luke 15:32; Exodus 32:7
  28. 31 Mark 7:27–28; Romans 11:1; Romans 9:4; Matthew 20:13–16; Romans 11:35
  29. 32 Ephesians 2:1–10; Luke 15:24; Isaiah 35:10; Romans 3:4; Psalm 51:8

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 15:8 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book I, Chapters XVI–XVII)

    In the same way they oracularly declare, that one power having departed also from the Duodecad, has perished; and this was represented by the woman who lost the drachma, and, lighting a lamp, again found it.

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 15:16 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book III, Chapters V–VII)

    Far, indeed, was I wandering away from Thee, being even shut out from the very husks of the swine, whom with husks I fed. For how much better, then, are the fables of the grammarians and poets than these snares!

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  3. Quotes verse 15:7 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LIX)

    But Luke saith, that He even brought it on his shoulders, and that "There was greater joy over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons." And from His forsaking those that were saved for it, and from His taking more pleasure in this one, He showed His earnestness about it to be great.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  4. Quotes verse 15:7 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (First Catechetical Lecture)

    … Christ, as yet by calling only, but ere long by grace also, make you a new heart and a new spirit, that there may be gladness among the inhabitants of heaven: for if over one sinner that repenteth there is joy, according to the Gospel, how much more shall the salvation of so many souls move the inhabitants of …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)

  5. Quotes verse 15:4–10 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book VIII, Chapters III–V)

    … no repentance." And with much joyfulness do we hear, whenever we hear, how the lost sheep is brought home again on the Shepherd's shoulders, while the angels rejoice, and the drachma is restored to Thy treasury, the neighhours rejoicing with the woman who found it; and the joy of the solemn service of Thy house constraineth to tears, when in …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)