Israel said, “Now I believe you. My son Joseph is still alive! I am going to see him before I die!”
Luke 15:24 - Easy To Read Version My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry. American Standard Version (1901) for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Common English Bible because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. Catholic Public Domain Version For this son of mine was dead, and has revived; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to feast. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again: was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. |
Israel said, “Now I believe you. My son Joseph is still alive! I am going to see him before I die!”
God will make his people free! And those people will come back to him. The people will be happy when they come into Zion. {\cf2\super [333]} The people will be happy forever. Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads. Their gladness and joy will fill them completely. Sorrow and sadness will be gone far, far away.
Why? Because you will receive mercy\par like milk coming from her breast.\par That “milk” will truly satisfy you!\par You people will drink the milk,\par and you will truly enjoy\par the glory of Jerusalem.\par
“I will search for the lost sheep. I will bring back the sheep that were scattered. I will put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. I will make the weak sheep strong. But I will destroy those fat and powerful \{shepherds\}. I will feed them the punishment they deserve.”
You have not made the weak strong. You have not cared for the sick sheep. You have not put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. Some of the sheep wandered away, and you did not go get them and bring them back. You did not go to look for those lost sheep. No, you were cruel and severe—that’s the way you tried to lead the sheep!
But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the people that are dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus and his followers came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch the man.
Listen! I gave you power to walk on snakes and scorpions. {\cf2\super [189]} I gave you more power than the Enemy (the devil) has. Nothing will hurt you.
Bring our fat calf. We will kill it and have plenty to eat. Then we can have a party!
“The older son was in the field. He came closer to the house. He heard the sound of music and dancing.
We must be happy and have a party; because your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.’”
“Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but he loses one of them. Then he will leave the other 99 sheep alone and go out and look for the lost sheep. The man will continue to search for the lost sheep until he finds it.
The Son of Man {\cf2\super [299]} came to find lost people and save them.”
But Jesus said to him, “Let the people that are dead bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection. {\cf2\super [176]} I am life. The person that believes in me will have life \{again\} after he dies.
The Father raises dead people and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to the people he wants to.
God turned away from the Jews. When that happened, God became friends with the other people in the world. So when God accepts the Jews, then surely that will bring to people life after death.
When other people are happy, you should be happy with them. And when other people are sad, you should be sad with them.
In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin. And see yourselves as being alive for God through Christ Jesus.
Don’t offer the parts of your body to serve sin. Don’t use your bodies as things to do evil with. But you should offer yourselves to God. Be like people that have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used for doing good.
Why? Because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit {\cf2\super [58]} that brings life made you {\cf2\super [59]} free. It made you {\cf2\super [60]} free from the law that brings sin and death.
If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, then all the other parts share its honor too.
In the past, your spiritual lives were dead because of your sins and the things you did wrong against God.
We were \{spiritually\} dead. We were dead because of the things we did wrong against God. But God gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace (kindness).
And everything that is made easy to see can become light. This is why we say:
You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God made you alive with Christ. And God forgave all our sins.
But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is still living.