# Luke 15.12

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Luke](/codex/luke/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.</span> 11. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">A certain man had two sons:</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.</span>**
>
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want.</span> (Luke 15:10-14, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”</span> 11. He said, <span class="rl-speech">“A certain man had two sons.</span>
>
> **12. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them.**
>
> 13. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14. When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. (Luke 15:10-14, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.</span> 11. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">A certain man had two sons:</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.</span>**
>
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.</span> (Luke 15:10-14, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">'So I say to you, joy doth come before the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.'</span> 11. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">'A certain man had two sons,</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">and the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of the substance falling to [me], and he divided to them the living.</span>**
>
> 13. <span class="rl-speech">'And not many days after, having gathered all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he scattered his substance, living riotously;</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">and he having spent all, there came a mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want;</span> (Luke 15:10-14, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G3776 - ousia](/codex/g3776-ousia/), *ousia*, Strong's G3776
- [G3962 - pater](/codex/g3962-pater/), *pater*, Strong's G3962

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from Forgiveness](/codex/argument-from-forgiveness/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)
- [Argument from the Festival-Feast Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-festival-feast-convergence/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)
- [Argument from the Universal Imagination Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-imagination-convergence/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)
- [God Created Me Knowing I Would Reject Him Objection Defeater](/codex/god-created-me-knowing-i-would-reject-him-objection-defeater/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Luke 15](/codex/luke-15/)
- [Psychology of Lowered Defenses](/codex/psychology-of-lowered-defenses/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)
- [Seeking God](/codex/seeking-god/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0622 - apollymi](/codex/g0622-apollymi/), via [Luke 15.11-32](/codex/luke-15-11-32/)
- [G3776 - ousia](/codex/g3776-ousia/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.