Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Diatessaron of Tatian/The Diatessaron/Section XXVI

Section XXVI.

[1, 2] And there came unto him publicans and sinners to hear his word.&#160; And the scribes and the Pharisees murmured, and said, This man receiveth sinners, and [3] eateth with them.&#160; And Jesus, when he beheld their murmuring, spake unto them [4] this parable:&#160; What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if one of them were lost, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go and seek the straying one [5] till he found it?&#160; Verily I say unto you, When he findeth it, he will rejoice over it [6] more than over the ninety-nine that went not astray; and bear it on his shoulders, and bring it to his house, and call his friends and neighbours, and say unto them, [7] Rejoice with me, since I have found my straying sheep.&#160; So your Father which is in heaven willeth not that one of these little ones that have strayed should perish, [8] and he seeketh for them repentance.&#160; I say unto you, Thus there shall be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons that do not need repentance.

[9] And what woman having ten drachmas would lose one of them, and not light a [10] lamp, and sweep the house, and seek it with care till she found it; and when she found it, call her friends and neighbours, and say unto them, Rejoice with me, as I [11] have found my drachma that was lost?&#160; I say unto you, Thus there shall be joy [Arabic, p. 101] before the angels of God over the one sinner that repenteth, more than over the ninety-nine righteous persons that do not need repentance.

[12, 13] And Jesus spake unto them also another parable:&#160; A man had two sons:&#160; and the younger son said unto him, My father, give me my portion that belongeth to [14] me of thy goods.&#160; And he divided between them his property.&#160; And after a few days the younger son gathered everything that belonged to him, and went into a [15] far country, and there squandered his property by living prodigally.&#160; And when he had exhausted everything he had, there occurred a great dearth in that country.&#160; [16] And when he was in want, he went and joined himself to one of the people of a city [17] of that country; and that man sent him into the field to feed the swine.&#160; And he used to long to fill his belly with the carob that those swine were eating:&#160; and no man [18] gave him.&#160; And when he returned unto himself, he said, How many hired servants now in my father&#8217;s house have bread enough and to spare, while I here perish with [19] hunger!&#160; I will arise and go to my father&#8217;s house, and say unto him, My father, I [20] have sinned in heaven and before thee, and am not worthy now to be called thy [21] son:&#160; make me as one of thy hired servants.&#160; And he arose, and came to his father.&#160; But his father saw him while he was at a distance, and was moved with compassion [22] for him, and ran, and fell on his breast, and kissed him.&#160; And his son said unto him, My father, I have sinned in heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be [23] called thy son.&#160; His father said unto his servants, Bring forth a stately robe, and put [24] it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and put on him shoes on his feet:&#160; and bring and [25] slay a fatted ox, that we may eat and make merry:&#160; for this my son was dead, and is [26] [Arabic, p. 102] alive; and was lost, and is found.&#160; And they began to be merry. &#160; Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and drew near to the house, [27] he heard the sound of many singing. &#160; And he called one of the lads, and asked him [28] what this was.&#160; He said unto him, Thy brother hath arrived; and thy father hath [29] slain a fatted ox, since he hath received him safe and sound. &#160; And he was angry, [30] and would not enter; so his father went out, and besought him to enter.&#160; And he said to his father, How many years do I serve thee in bondage, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and thou hast never given me a kid, that I might [31] make merry with my friends? but this thy son, when he had squandered thy [32] property with harlots, and come, thou hast slain for him a fatted ox.&#160; His father said unto him, My son, thou art at all times with me, and everything I have is [33] thine.&#160; It behoveth thee to rejoice and make merry, since this thy brother was dead, and is alive; and was lost, and is found.

[34] And he spake a parable unto his disciples:&#160; There was a rich man, and he had [35] a steward; and he was accused to him that he had squandered his property.&#160; So his lord called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear regarding thee?&#160; Give me the account of thy stewardship; for it is now impossible that thou shouldest [36] be a steward for me.&#160; The steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh from me the stewardship?&#160; To dig I am not able; and to beg I [37] am ashamed.&#160; I know what I will do, that, when I go out of the stewardship, they [38] may receive me into their houses.&#160; And he called one after another of his lord&#8217;s [39] debtors, and said to the first, How much owest thou my lord?&#160; He said unto him, An hundred portions of oil.&#160; He said unto him, Take thy writing, and sit down, and write [40] quickly fifty portions. &#160; And he said to the next, And thou, how much owest thou my lord?&#160; He said unto him, An hundred cors of wheat.&#160; He said unto him, Take [41] [Arabic, p. 103] thy writing, and sit down, and write eighty cors.&#160; And our lord commended the sinful steward because he had done a wise deed; for the children [42] of this world are wiser than the children of the light in this their age.&#160; And I also say unto you, Make unto yourselves friends with the wealth of this unrighteousness; [43] so that, when it is exhausted, they may receive you into their tents for ever.&#160; He who is faithful in a little is faithful also in much:&#160; and he who is unrighteous in a [44] little is unrighteous also in much.&#160; If then in the wealth of unrighteousness ye were [45] not trustworthy, who will intrust you with the truth? &#160; If ye are not found faithful in what does not belong to you, who will give you what belongeth to you?