Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Luke 15:11-32:
Finally, Jesus told them this story:
A man’s younger son once said,
“Dad, give me my share of the family fortune!”
So his father divided everything
between him and his older brother.
Soon the younger son packed up everything
and left for a foreign country,
where he wasted every cent of his inheritance.
Then a terrible famine struck the land,
leaving him famished and without food.
So hungry was the young man that he took a job
feeding bean pods to nasty pigs,
and he would have eaten some of the pods himself,
if only the owner had turned his back.
At last, in desperation, he said to himself,
“My dad’s workers have more than enough to eat,
while I sit here with these pigs, starving to death.
Best thing I can do is to go home and make up with my dad.
I’ll say, “Dad, I’ve been a really lousy son,
worthless and useless to both you and God.
Fact is, I don’t deserve to be called your son —
just treat me like one of your servants.”
Before he even reached the road to the farmhouse,
his father saw him and felt so sorry that he ran over
and greeted the young man with hugs and kisses.
“Dad, I’ve been a really lousy son,” said the boy.
“I’m worthless and useless to both you and God.
Fact is, I don’t deserve to be called your son.”
But his father instructed the servants,
“Hurry! Bring him the best clothes.
Put a gold ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
And prepare our choice beef, so we can celebrate!
My son was dead, and now he’s alive!
My son was lost, and now he’s found.”
Then the festivities began.
Meanwhile, the older brother was coming in from the fields,
when he heard the sound of music and dancing.
“What’s going on?” he asked one of the servants.
“Your younger brother has come home,” answered the servant,
“and your father ordered us
to prepare the choice beef for a feast.”
This made the older brother so angry
that he refused to go anywhere near the house.
His father went out and begged him to join the celebration,
but his son answered, “All my life I’ve obeyed you,
and I’ve worked like a slave.
Yet you’ve never even given me a small goat,
so I could throw a party for my friends.
This other son of yours blew all his money on hookers,
and now that he’s back home,
you’ve ordered our choice beef
to be killed for a feast in his honor.”
“My dear son,” replied his father, “You’re always here,
and everything I have is yours as well.
But don’t you think we should celebrate?
Your brother was dead, and now he’s alive.
He was lost, and now he’s found.”
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