but he replied,‘ All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.

他对父亲说：‘我服侍你这多年，从来没有违背过你的命，你并没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快乐。

他对父亲说：‘你看，我服侍你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，而你从来没有给我一只小山羊，叫我和朋友们一同快乐。

他对父亲说：‘你看，我服侍你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，而你从来没有给我一只小山羊，叫我和朋友们一同快乐。

“他对父亲说，‘你看，我伺候你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，可是你没有给过我一只羊羔，让我和朋友一同欢宴。

他对父亲说：‘你看，我服事你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，可是你没有给我一只山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同欢乐。

他回答父亲，说：‘你看，我服事你这么多年，从来没有违背过你的命令，可是你从来没有给过我一只小山羊，好让我与朋友们一同庆祝。

他對父親說：『我服事你這多年，從來沒有違背過你的命，你並沒有給我一隻山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快樂。

他對父親說：『你看，我服侍你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，而你從來沒有給我一隻小山羊，叫我和朋友們一同快樂。

他對父親說：『你看，我服侍你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，而你從來沒有給我一隻小山羊，叫我和朋友們一同快樂。

「他對父親說，『你看，我伺候你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，可是你沒有給過我一隻羊羔，讓我和朋友一同歡宴。

他對父親說：‘你看，我服事你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，可是你沒有給我一隻山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同歡樂。

他回答他父親說：「你看，我服事了你這麼多年，從未疏忽過你的命令；你也從未給過我一隻山羊羔，讓我和我的朋友一同快樂。

他回答父親，說：『你看，我服事你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，可是你從來沒有給過我一隻小山羊，好讓我與朋友們一同慶祝。

長子謂父曰、我事爾多年、從無違命、而爾未嘗賜我一羔、俾我與友同樂、

長子曰、我事父有年、未嘗違命、父未嘗以羔賜我、俾得與友同樂、

長子對父曰、我事父多年、未嘗違命、父未以羔賜我、俾我與友同樂、

長子曰：「兒事父有年、未嘗有違、父向未賜兒一羔、與朋儕共讌。

But he answered his father,‘ Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But he answered his father,‘ Look! All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I have always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

but he answered his father,‘ Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

But he replied to his father,‘ Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends.

But he answered and said to his father,‘ Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

So he answered and said to his father,‘ Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

But he replied to his father,‘ Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

And he answering said to[ his] father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

but he answered his father,‘ Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends!

But he answered his father,‘ Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer:‘ I thank you, God, that I am not like other people— cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.‘ We have fasted before you!’ they say.‘ Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’“ I will tell you why!” I respond.“ It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.

At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,

though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin— a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

In the same way, when you obey me you should say,‘ We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

But to answer your question, you know the commandments:‘ You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”The man replied,“ I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

“ Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

‘ Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully.“ May the Lord bless you,” he said.“ I have carried out the Lord’s command!”“ Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

Yet they say to each other,‘ Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.

“ You have said,‘ What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins?

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

You say,‘ I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

“ But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table.You say,‘ It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:

I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’

They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:“ Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.