parable of the prodigal son (image)

Click here to see the image in higher resolution.

Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.

lost

The Greek that is often translated as “lost” in English is translated in Mairasi as “their faces lengthened.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

complete verse (Luke 15:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:24:

  • Noongar: “Because this my son was dead, but now he lives; he was lost but now he is found.’ They were very happy and they began eating and drinking.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Because this my child, we could say he was dead, but he lives again. He was lost, but I found him again.’ They had a feast.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For this child of mine was like dead and lives again. He was like lost and has come home.’ Then they began to celebrate.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because as for this, my son, it was as if he was dead but now he is alive again. He was lost and today he is found.’ And then they began to have a good time.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because this child of mine was like dead, but (surprised realization) here he is alive. He was lost, but here he has arrived.’ Then they began to be-happy-together.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For this child of mine was as-it-were dead but has indeed come alive again. It’s like he was lost but has been found.’ Without anything further, they truly celebrated.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Scriptures Plain & Simple (Luke 15:11-32)

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.”

Translation commentary on Luke 15:24

Exegesis:

hoti houtos ho huios mou nekros en kai anezēsen ‘for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again.’ houtos here points to somebody who is present. nekros and anazaō are used here metaphorically; they either refer to moral death and rebirth, or mean ‘thought to be dead,’ and ‘to come back alive,’ preferably the latter.

ēn apolōlōs kai heurethē ‘he was lost and has been found,’ repeating the thought expressed in the preceding clause.

ērxanto euphrainesthai ‘they began to celebrate,’ cf. on 4.21.

Translation:

For was lost, used also metaphorically here, cf. the note on v. 4.

Is found, here not the result of a previous search (as it is in vv. 5f, 8f), cf. note on 2.12; hence one may have to say, ‘has come home’ (e.g. Ekari), or, ‘I have got him back.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.