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Chapter 4—You Can Come Home Any Time
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The
younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the
property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between
them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and
traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property
in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine
took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So
he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country,
who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have
filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one
gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How
many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare,
but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father,
and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me
like one of your hired hands.’” So he set off and went to his father.
But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But
the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best
one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and
is found!’ And they began to celebrate
.
Now his elder son was in
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the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard
music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was
going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has
killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’
Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and
began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For
all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have
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