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.’”
Jesus ta tambula ovalunde
1 Ndele ovafutifi aveshe novalunde va li have uya kuye oku mu uda. 2 Ndele Ovafarisai novanongo vomhango ova ngongota tava ti: “Ou ota tambula ovalunde ndele ta lile pamwe navo.”
Odi ya kana
3 Ndelenee Ye okwe va lombwela efaneko eli ta ti: 4 “Olyelye ou womunye e na eedi efele limwe ndele ta kanifa mo imwe, ita fii po ngeno odo omilongo omugoi nomugoi, ndele ta ka shikula inya ya kana fiyo te i mono? 5 Ndele ngeenge te i mono, ote i humbata komapepe aye nokunyakukwa. 6 Ndele ngeenge te uya keumbo, ota ifana ookaume novashiinda vaye, ndele ote va lombwele: ‘Hafeni pamwe naame, osheshi odi yange ya li ya kana onde i mona.’ 7 Ohandi mu lombwele: ‘Osho yo meulu tamu ka kala ehafo lokuhafela omulunde umwe e lidilulula, li dule olo lokuhafela ovayuki omilongo omugoi nomugoi ava itava pumbwa elidilululo.’
Oshimaliwa sha kana
8 “Ile omukainhu olyelye, ngeenge e kwete oimaliwa oisiliveli omulongo, ndele ta kanifa po shimwe, ita temifa olamba ye ita kombo meumbo noku shi konga shili fiyo ote shi mono? 9 Ndele ngeenge te shi mono, ota ifana ookahewa novashiinda vaye ndele ta ti: ‘Tu nyakukweni, osheshi oshimaliwa shange nde shi kanifile, onde shi mona.’ 10 Ohandi mu lombwele, osho tuu tamu ningi ehafo movaengeli vaKalunga omolwomulunde umwe e lidilulula.”
Omumati a kanene
11 Opo nee Ye okwa popya vali: “Okwa li ku nomunhu e novana ovamati vavali. 12 Ndele ou munini okwa tya kuxe: ‘Tate, pe nge ombinga ei yeliko ndi noku i pewa’. Ye okwe va tukulila emona laye. 13 Ndele inapa pita nee omafiku mahapu, omona ou munini okwa ongela oinima yaye aishe, ndele okwa ya koshilongo shokokule, ndele okwa hanaunina ko emona laye nokukala moulunde. 14 Ndele eshi a mana po aishe, oshilongo shinya osha hangika kondjala inene, ndele ye okwa hovela okuhepa. 15 Okwa ya ko ndele okwe litula poshipuna shoshilongo shinya. Ye okwe mu tuma momaluxwa aye okulifa oingulu. 16 Ndele okwa hala okukutifa edimo laye nomahakashala omakunde aa haa liwa koingulu, ndele ine a pewa nande okomunhu. 17 Opo nee e lialuluka, ndele ta ti: ‘Ovapiya vatate vahapu ve fike peni ve noikulya ya wana, ndele ame ohandi fi ondjala. 18 Ohandi fikama ndele handi i kutate, ndele handi mu lombwele: Tate, onda nyona keulu nokoshipala shoye, 19 ndele ame inandi wana vali ndi ifanwe omona woye, tambule nge ngaashi umwe womovapiya voye.’ 20 Ndele ye okwa fikama ndele okwa ya kuxe.
“Ndele fimbo a li kokule, xe okwe mu mona ndele okwe mu udila onghenda, a tondoka e mu shakeneke ndele okwe mu dingatela kofingo, yaye ndele okwe mu fipa komilungu. 21 Ndele omona okwe mu lombwela: ‘Tate, onda nyona keulu nokwoove, ame inandi wana vali okwiifanwa omona woye.’ 22 Ndele xe okwa lombwela ovapiya vaye: ‘Ka eteni divadiva oshikutu shinya shiwa shiwelela, mu shi mu dike, nokalinga ka dikeni komunwe waye, neenghaku keemhadi daye, 23 nye mu ka tale ko onhana inya ya ondoka, i tomeni, tu lyeni fye tu hafeni, 24 osheshi omona wange ou okwa li a fya, ndele okwa nyumuka, okwa li a kana, ndele okwa monika.’ Ndele vo ova hovela okuhafa.
25 “Ndelenee omona waye omukulunhu okwa hangika mepya. Hano eshi e uya a fika popepi neumbo, okwa uda mo olwiimbo noudano. 26 Ndele okwa ifana omupiya umwe, okwe mu pula eshi shi li mo. 27 Ou okwa tya kuye: ‘Omumwanyoko e uya, xo okwe mu tomena onhana inya ya ondoka, eshi e mu mona e nomwenyo.’ 28 Ndele ye okwa handuka, ye ina hala okuya mo meumbo. Xe okwe uya pondje, ndele okwe mu popifa nombili. 29 Ndelenee ye okwa tya kuxe: ‘Tala, omido edi nde ku kalela apa di fike, ndele inandi nyona nande oshipango shoye. Ove ino pa nge nande okakombwena ndi hafe pamwe nookaume kange. 30 Ndelenee omona woye oo a manena po emona loye meembwada, eshi e uya, ove owe mu tomena onhana inya ya ondoka.’ 31 Ye okwe mu lombwela: ‘Omona wange, ove owa kala alushe pwaame, ndele aishe yange oyoye yo. 32 Ndele paife eshi otu nokuhafa, osheshi omumwanyoko ou okwa li a fya ndele okwa ninga vali omwenyo, okwa li a kana ndele okwa monika.’ ”