The Lost Sheep
(Matthew 18.12-14)1 One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus, 2 the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!” 3 So Jesus told them this parable:
4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them—what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it. 5 When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders 6 and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbors together and say to them, ‘I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.
The Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman who has ten silver coins loses one of them—what does she do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house, and looks carefully everywhere until she finds it. 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says to them, ‘I am so happy I found the coin I lost. Let us celebrate!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents.”
The Lost Son
11 Jesus went on to say, “There was once a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. 16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. 17 At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and started back to his father.
“He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. 21 ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ 22 But the father called to his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.
25 “In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him, ‘What's going on?’ 27 ‘Your brother has come back home,’ the servant answered, ‘and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.’ 28 The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. 29 But he spoke back to his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! 30 But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’ 31 ‘My son,’ the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’”
aza 15
taŋal tuḏuḏu
1 na kla leṯallila ṯulba lizi li liki rugwori ḏuŋgwaḏa eḏi niŋnaci Yecuŋw, 2 na lifarzi-ŋa lizi li leṯizilŋiiḏini kuruu-na ermiḏeḏina, ner aru ŋwu: kwizimini kweṯi zi enji liki rugwori kiloɽu-na, eṯir li eḏne duŋw.
3 ŋwu ṯaŋwu, nuŋw zi andaci ŋu ŋir ŋiŋerɔŋw, nuŋw zi eca ŋwu: 4 muŋw eḏi kwete daŋgal-na yaŋali ruɽi-ṯndni, mindaŋ muŋw ṯuḏi kete ta, ŋwu zi ere ṯay lu ruɽi-kwaɽnaŋ-wri-kwunitri kwuḏer-na domony manya, eḏele eḏ ica kumɔṯuḏi, mindaŋ eḏinḏa? 5 muŋw inḏa, ŋwu kita yiili la, ŋwu amina. 6 muŋw gi ele duənu ta, ŋwu ere aɽazi limeḏgen duŋw, lizi li leḏi yəni lu manya, eḏi zi eca ŋwu: er amina, menyi gwu inḏa kaŋali kinyi kuḏuḏi. 7 nyi kwecaŋazi ma ŋwa, ṯinyiŋlana ṯeḏi kla linanni kilerena ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi kwete kwiki ṯugwori muŋw orlaci ŋikyaŋi ŋwudɔŋw, ṯitemḏi ṯinyiŋlana ṯeŋen ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi lizi leni lofḏana lir ruɽi-kwaɽŋan-wri-kwuniṯri, liti leŋgorla rugwori lu mac.
ŋamal ŋir faḏḏa ŋuḏuḏu
8 ya ma kwaw kwere eḏi ŋamali wri ŋir faḏḏa, muŋw zi ṯuzi ŋete ta, ŋwu ere kete fori eḏi ferṯe duənuŋw lu tɔk manya, eḏeca ezir lu tuctuc, mindaŋ eḏi zi inḏa? 9 muŋw zi inḏa ta, ŋwu ere aɽazi limeḏgen duŋw, lizi li leḏi yəni lu manya, eḏi zi eca ŋwu: er amina, menyi gwu inḏa ŋamali ŋuṯuḏaḏi nyi. 10 nyi kwecaŋazi ma ŋwa, eṯi limaleyka leḏi Allah nyeŋlena kaka ta ŋwu, ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi kwizi kwete kwiki muŋw orlaci ŋikyaŋi ŋwudɔŋw.
tor tuḏuḏu
11 nuŋw aru ŋwu: kwor kwete kweḏi nyoru nyiɽen nyir nyɔŋwor; 12 nuŋweca tɔkwɽeny ŋwu: papa, inḏeḏe nyi kwɔmne kwinyi kweŋginyji kannaci kwaḏan. nezi ṯernyin kannaci kwɔmne nden tɔk. 13 nuŋw nani kra tɔkwɽeny ŋwamin ŋwere caw, nuŋw lufezi kwɔmne tatap duŋw, nuŋw gi ele kuṯu tuk. nuŋw gwu kiraza kwɔmne lu kwuŋwun ki ŋiɽaŋal-na ŋiki. 14 mindaŋ muŋw ṯuza tatap, na yaŋwu enḏiḏa ezir wa yu tɔrtɔr, na ŋuway enḏiḏa. 15 nuŋw ele eḏi nani nanu gwu kwor kwete kweḏi ezir wa, nuŋw uzi kwuḏer-na eḏ ii yizaŋi lu. 16 nuŋw naŋni eḏi bii kari kuŋwun lugwɔli liiḏi yizaŋ. na kwizi ere kwere kwukitiza yey mac. 17 mindaŋ ma ṯugwor ṯuŋwun kiɽṯa, nuŋw andizana, nuŋw aru ŋwu: aḏri; papa kwinyi kweḏi yaḏaama yitezir yeṯi ye eḏneya mindaŋ eṯir tay lu. nenyi ta, nenyi naŋni eḏayḏalu yaŋwu yi. 18 nyi kwudiɽi, nyaɽa nanu gwu papa, nyeca ŋwu: kwumenyi əkici kwedi kilere-na lɔmori puɽcur, ŋaŋwu tɔk. 19 nyi kwiti kwofḏana pa kwokwony mac eḏari, nyi kwiri tiɽŋelu. ruzenyi kaka kaḏaama kɔŋwa. 20 nuŋw diɽi, nuŋw ele eḏi ṯernyin-ŋa. lakin, nanuŋw ki tay la tuk kwinḏi, na ṯernyin iza, na ŋimɽi yaḏa duŋgwun, nuŋw afri, nuŋw miḏa-na, nuŋw agani ṯunyu ṯi. 21 na tor eca ṯernyin ŋwu: papa, kwumenyi əkici kweḏi kilerena lomori puɽcur, ŋaŋwu tɔk. nenyere ofḏani kwokwony mac eḏari, nyi kwiri tiɽŋelu. 22 na ṯernyin eca yaḏaama ŋwu: afar kwofan kwizaw frafra, kwuṯemḏi, oɽaci; enjici kaṯima ki lamin, yiḏwanu ŋwara tɔk. 23 mulḏar tiḏri kra tir limaḏar, a eɽenyje, er ye, er amina. 24 kaka ay gwu tor kru tinyi, na timɔmiiḏi kwokwony; nuŋw eni tiḏuḏu tɔk, na timinḏini. ner naŋni eḏamina.
25 na tiɽŋeyin tir nda nana kwuḏer. mindaŋ muŋw ṯaŋa, muŋw ilizi duənuŋw keṯɔk, nuŋw niŋnaci kwurna kwaru, ṯiṯi gwu lizi tɔk. 26 nuŋw ornuti kaḏaama kete, nuŋw uṯizelu, nuŋw eca ŋwu: aḏa kwiri manuŋ? 27 nuŋw eca ŋwu: aŋgalu kwir pa kwumila, na ṯarnyalu eɽenyje tiḏri tir limaḏar, kaka muŋw gwu kaṯazi kwizaw, kwufirli nana tɔk. 28 nuŋw ərum, nuŋw derne eḏenḏi. ŋwu ṯaŋwu, na ṯernyin ru par nuŋw dadizelu. 29 nuŋw eŋnici ṯernyin, nuŋw eca ŋwu: aḏri; nyi kwəkicaŋa ŋɔḏɽor yiḏleyu yuru; eṯi ŋa ere ofḏaci ŋiɽaŋali lu ŋere mac; eṯinyi ere inḏeḏa tɔŋe tere eḏi ri amina limeḏgeri li linyi too. 30 mindaŋ ma tiɽŋelu ila kru, tuṯuzizaŋa kwɔmne ŋijin ŋi ta, na eɽenyje tiḏri tir limaḏar. 31 nuŋw eŋnici ṯiɽŋeyin, nuŋw eca ŋwu: tor tinyi, a kwunannindi pa dɔk; na ta kwɔmne kwinyi eni kwɔŋwa tatap tɔk. 32 kanya kimami eḏamina, eḏi nyeŋlena tɔk; kaka ay gwu aŋgalu ŋgwu, na kwumɔmiiḏi kwokwony; nuŋw eni kwuḏuḏu tɔk, na kwuminḏini.