Verse 1: Kwase kusondela kuye bonke abathelisi nezoni ukumuzwa.
Verse 2: AbaFarisi nababhali base bakhonona bethi: “Lo muntu wamukela izoni, adle nazo.”
Verse 3: Wayesebalandisa lo mfanekiso, ethi:
Verse 4: “Ngumuphi umuntu kini onezimvu eziyikhulu, alahlekelwe ngenye kuzo, angazishiyi ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalolunye ehlane, aye kwelahlekileyo, aze ayithole, na?
Verse 5: Athi eseyitholile, ayetshathe ethokoza.
Verse 6: Esefike ekhaya ameme abahlobo nabakhelwane, athi kubo: ‘Thokozani nami, ngokuba ngiyitholile imvu yami ebilahlekile.’
Verse 7: Ngithi kini: Kanjalo kuyakuba khona ukuthokoza ezulwini ngesoni sisinye esiphendukayo, kunabalungileyo abangamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalolunye abangasweli ukuphenduka.
Verse 8: “Noma ngumuphi owesifazane othi enezinhlamvu zesiliva eziyishumi, uma elahlekelwe luhlamvu lwaba lunye, angokheli isibani, ashanele indlu, afunisise, aze aluthole?
Verse 9: Athi ukuba aluthole, abize abahlobo nabakhelwane, athi: ‘Thokozani nami, ngokuba ngilutholile uhlamvu lwami obelungilahlekele.’
Verse 10: Ngithi kini: Kanjalo kukhona ukuthokoza phambi kwezingelosi zikaNkulunkulu ngesoni sisinye esiphendukayo.”
Verse 11: Wayesethi: “Umuntu othile wayenamadodana amabili.
Verse 12: Encane yawo yayisithi kuyise: ‘Baba, nginike isabelo sefa esiqondene nami;’ wawahlukanisela impahla.
Verse 13: “Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezingeziningi indodana encane yayisibutha konke, yamuka, yaya ezweni elikude, yachitha khona imfuyo yayo ihamba ngokonakala.
Verse 14: Isisaphaze konke, kwavela indlala enkulu kulelo zwe; yaqala ukuswela.
Verse 15: Yayisiya kukhonza komunye umuntu walelo zwe; yena wayithuma emadlelweni akhe ukuba yaluse izingulube.
Verse 16: Yafisa ukuzisuthisa ngemidumba edliwa yizingulube; kepha kayiphiwanga muntu.
Verse 17: “Kuthe sekusile kuyo, yathi: ‘Bangaki abaqashwa bakababa abanokudla okuningi, kanti mina ngifa indlala lapha.
Verse 18: Ngiyakusuka, ngiye kubaba, ngithi: Baba, ngonile kulo izulu naphambi kwakho;
Verse 19: angisafanele ukuthiwa indodana yakho; ngenze ngibe njengomunye wabaqashwa bakho.’
Verse 20: Yayisisuka, yafika kuyise; kepha kuthe isekude, uyise wayibona, waba nesihe, wagijima, wayisingatha entanyeni, wayanga.
Verse 21: “Indodana yayisithi kuye: ‘Baba, ngonile kulo izulu naphambi kwakho; angisafanele ukuthiwa indodana yakho.’
Verse 22: “Kepha uyise wathi ezincekwini zakhe: ‘Sheshani nikhiphe ingubo enhle kunazo zonke, niyembathise, nifake indandatho esandleni sayo nezicathulo ezinyaweni,
Verse 23: nilethe ithole elikhuluphalisiweyo, nilihlabe, sidle, sijabule;
Verse 24: ngokuba le ndodana yami ibifile, yabuye yaphila; ibilahlekile, seyatholakala;’ base beqala ukujabula.
Verse 25: “Kepha indodana yakhe enkulu yayisensimini; yathi iseza isondela endlini, yezwa ukuhlabelela nokusina.
Verse 26: Yabiza omunye wabafana, yabuza ukuthi kwenze njani lokho.
Verse 27: Wathi kuyo: ‘Kufike umfowenu; uyihlo wahlaba ithole elikhuluphalisiweyo, ngokuba ubuye wamthola ephilile.’
Verse 28: “Kepha yathukuthela, kayivumanga ukungena; uyise wayesephuma, wayincenga.
Verse 29: Kodwa yaphendula, yathi kuyise: ‘Bheka, iminyaka engaka ngikukhonzile; angizange ngeqe umyalo wakho, kepha mina awuzange ungiphe nazinyane lembuzi ukuba ngijabule nabahlobo bami,
Verse 30: kodwa kuthe ukuba ifike leyo ndodana yakho eqede imfuyo yakho nezifebe, wayihlabisa ithole elikhuluphalisiweyo.’
Verse 31: “Wayesethi kuyo: ‘Mntanami, wena uhlala nami njalo; konke okwami kungokwakho.
Verse 32: Kepha simelwe ukujabula, sithokoze, ngokuba umfowenu lo wayefile, wabuye waphila; wayelahlekile, sewatholakala.’ ”