Then resorted vnto hym all the publicanes and sinners, for to heare hym.

And the pharisees & scribes murmured, saying: he receaueth sinners, and eateth with them.

But he put foorth this parable vnto them, saying:

What man of you, hauyng an hundred sheepe, if he loose one of them, doth not leaue ninetie and nine in the wildernesse, and go after that which is lost, vntyll he fynde it?

And when he hath founde it, he layeth it on his shoulders with ioy:

And assoone as he commeth home, he calleth together his louers and neyghbours, saying vnto them: Reioyce with me, for I haue founde my sheepe which was lost.

I say vnto you, that lykewyse ioy shalbe in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth, more then ouer ninetie and nine iust persons, which neede no repentaunce.

Either what woman, hauyng tenne peeces of siluer, yf she loose one, doth not lyght a candle, and swepe the house, and seke diligently tyll she fynde it?

And when she hath founde it, she calleth her louers & her neyghbours together, saying: Reioyce with me, for I haue founde the peece which I had lost.

Lykewyse I say vnto you, shall there be ioy in the presence of the Angels of God, ouer one sinner that repenteth.

And he sayde. A certayne man had two sonnes:

And the younger of them sayde to his father: father, geue me the portion of the goodes, that to me belongeth. And he deuided vnto them his substaunce.

And not long after, when the younger sonne had gathered all that he had together, he toke his iourney into a farre countrey, and there wasted his goodes with riotous lyuyng.

And when he had spent all, there arose a great dearth in all that lande, and he began to lacke.

And he ioyned hym selfe to a citizen of that countrey: and he sent hym to his farme, to feede swyne.

And he woulde fayne haue fylled his belly with the coddes that the swyne dyd eate: and no man gaue vnto hym.

Then he came to hym selfe, and sayde: Howe many hyred seruauntes at my fathers house haue bread inough, and I perishe with hunger?

I wyll aryse, and go to my father, and wyll say vnto hym: Father, I haue sinned agaynst heauen, and before thee,

And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne, make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way of, his father sawe him, & had compassion, and ranne, and fell on his necke, and kissed hym.

And the sonne sayde vnto him: Father, I haue sinned agaynst heauen, and in thy syght, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne.

But the father saide to his seruauntes: bryng foorth the best garment, and put it on hym, and put a ryng on his hande, and shoes on his feete:

And bryng hyther that fat calfe, and kyll it, and let vs eate and be mery:

For this my sonne was dead, and is aliue agayne, he was lost, and is founde. And they began to be mery.

The elder brother was in the fielde: and when he came and drewe nye to the house, he hearde minstrelsie & daunsing,

And called one of his seruauntes, and asked, what those thynges meant.

And he sayde vnto hym: thy brother is come, and thy father hath kylled the fat calfe, because he hath receaued hym safe and sounde.

And he was angry, and woulde not go in: Therfore came his father out, and entreated hym.

He aunswered and sayde to his father: Lo, these many yeres haue I done thee seruice, neither brake I at any tyme thy commaundement, and yet thou neuer gauest me a kidde to make mery with my friendes:

But assoone as this thy sonne was come, which hath deuoured thy goodes with harlottes, thou hast for his pleasure kylled that fat calfe.

And he sayde vnto hym: Sonne, thou art euer with me, and all that I haue, is thyne,

It was meete that we shoulde make mery and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alyue agayne: and was lost, and is founde.