A certain man had two sons. And the youngest of them said to his father:
- Father! Give me the next part of the estate.
And the father divided the estate for them.
After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a distant place and there squandered his property, living dissolutely. When he had lived through everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. And he went and accosted one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him to his fields to graze pigs. And he was glad to fill his belly with the horns that the pigs ate, but no one gave it to him. Having come to his senses, he said:
“How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, but I am dying of hunger.” I will get up, go to my father and tell him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Take me among your hired servants."
He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him:
- Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.
And the father said to his servants:
- Bring the best clothes and dress him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; Let's eat and have fun! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
And they started having fun.
His eldest son was in the field, and, returning, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing, and, calling one of the servants, asked:
- What is this?
He told him:
“Your brother came, and your father killed the fatted calf, because he received it healthy.”
He became angry and did not want to enter. His father came out and called him. But he answered his father:
“Behold, I have served you for so many years, and I have never violated your orders, but you never gave me even a kid so that I could have fun with my friends.” And when this son of yours, who had wasted his wealth with harlots, came, you killed the fatted calf for him.
He told him:
- My son! You are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours, and it was necessary to rejoice and be glad that this brother of yours was dead and came to life, was lost and was found.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru