Gud warder lijknat widh en man
The Wayward Son's Departure
The younger son demands his inheritance, squanders it in a foreign land, and falls into deep misery.
God is compared to a man who had two sons. “Father, let me go wherever I can,” the younger said to him. “Give me the share of the property here that belongs to me, so I can use it as I please. It’s no good staying at home.” He took it to another land, but it didn't do him much good. He gained so little there that his coffers were soon empty. He intended to live extravagantly as long as his money lasted, but once it was all gone, he had no bread to eat. He could hardly have managed his affairs any worse. He hired himself out to a citizen to become a swineherd. He even longed to eat the pigs’ feed, but no one would give him any. Then he remembered his father’s house, where many servants all had enough. He was trapped in misery and had to endure hunger.
Repentance and the Father's Embrace
The son resolves to return home in humility, where he is met with his father's overwhelming love and celebration.
No, I’ll go back to my father and confess my failure to him. Who knows? Perhaps he’ll become my friend again and forgive this offense. I’m not worthy to be called his son because of these sins of mine. Let him give me a place among his servants; I can ask for nothing more. When the father saw him coming, the love within his fatherly heart burst forth. He embraced and kissed him, dressed him in fine clothes that no one could fault, placed a gold ring on his hand, and then hurried to have a fattened ox slaughtered. Let’s rejoice: my son is alive—he was dead and gone, lost to me though I loved him dearly, and now he’s been found again. Then the other brother, the older one, came home and immediately asked one of his servants, “What’s going on in the courtyard? What’s all this about?” Has something new happened?
The Elder Brother's Resentment
The older brother questions the celebration, expressing bitterness over his own service compared to the younger brother's reception.
I hear dancing and singing, pipes and harps playing. The joy here is through the roof—what can it all mean? What is my father doing now? He's celebrating at full tilt with my brother, who deserves nothing good from anyone in this house; he's squandered everything he had. I've served him for so long and looked after his affairs, yet he has never slaughtered even a young goat for my friends. But because he was pleased with them, he went to such expense as to kill a fattened ox. Who can hear such injustice? I can't be satisfied with this. The father answers: “My son, you know what I’m telling you: you’ve never left me, and everything I have is yours. This brother of yours was dead and has come back to life; he had fallen into terrible need and is now free from that misery. That makes my heart rejoice.”
The Call to Repentance and Praise
The narrative shifts to a devotional application, inviting the reader to trust in God's mercy and praise Him for salvation.
If you’ve never had reason to rejoice—if everything has always gone well for you, as though you’d never traveled a hard road or suffered the kind of want this man endured, and if you’ve lost none of your possessions to grieve over—shouldn’t you take all that into account? So take courage now, sinner: you have a merciful Father. His arms are open to you, and he welcomes you gladly. If you confess your sin and kneel before him, he will forgive all your guilt and give you what you ask. You may go forward with confidence. So may God be praised forever, highly praised by us all. He surely sees our misery when we fall before him. Help us, Lord God, in every need, and let your grace shine. Save us from eternal death and bring us into your joy. Amen—let us sing to that.
Read the original Latin
GUd warder lijknat widh en man/ huilken twå söner hade/ tu lät mich fara huart iach kan/ then yngre til honom sade/ thet mich tilkommer lät mich så/ aff gotzet som her finnes/ at iach nuu ther med handla må/ som iach betzt är til sinnes/ ey dogher hema bliffua.
Han kom ther med j annor land/ doch sich til fögo froma/ så litit war thet han ther wan/ hans kistor wordo ther toma/ j lösheet liffua war hans ijdt/ medan thet reckia kunde/ sedhan han war tå allo quit/ brast honom bröd åt munne/ ey war tå bätre handlat
Til en borgare gaff han sich/ en swijnaherde bliffua/ åt swijnadraff han ock lust fick/ men ingen wilde thet giffua/ sins faders hws kom han j hugh/ ther woro tienare monge/ the alle sammans finge nogh/ han lågh j armosz twånge/ och moste hunger lijdha
Ney iach går til min fader igen/ mijn brist for honom kenna/ hoo weet han bliffner wel min wen/och glömer brutten thenna/ iach är ey werd kallas hans son/ for tessa skuller mina/ han settie mich til en stor mon/ ibland tienare sina/ meer kan iach ey begiera
Tå fadren honom komma sågh/ brast vtaff faderligo bryste/ then kerlech som ther inne lågh/ han famtogh honom och kyste/ fick honom sköna cläder på/ the ingen kunde lasta/ en gulring på hans hand ock så/ och ther til låt sich hasta/ en göddan oxa slacta
Glädioms min son liffuande är/ som dödh war och försuunnen/ borttapat then mich war fulkär/ och nw her igen funnen/ Hem kom tå andre brodren then/ som äldre war aff årom/ strax frågade han en sin swen/ huad är j gårde worom? är något nytt på ferde?
Dantza och quädha hörer iach/ pijpor och harpor lydha/ her står glädhin alt vp j taak/ hwad mon thet alt betydha/ hwad är thet min fader nw gör/ han braskar j fullo ruse/ med min broder som intit gött bör/ aff thet her är j hwse/ han haffuer alt sitt förslösat
Iach haffuer honom tient så longan tijd/ och på hans saker actat/ aldrig haffuer han än nw itt kidh/ åt mina wener slactat/ åt tessom tectes honom wel/ en sådan kostnat göra/ en göddan oxa slå ihiel/ hoo kan slijk oskääl höra/ ther kan mich ey åtnöya
Swarar fadren/ min son tu weest/ hwad iach tich nw her sägher/ tu haffuer aldrid frå mich reest/ titt är alt thet iach ägher/ thenne tin broder war alt dödh/ och är igen vpstonden/ kommen war han j största nödh/ och är nw quitt then wåndan/ thet gör mitt hierta frögde
Om tijn saak haffuer sådana skääl/ til glädi aldrig warit/ med tich är alltijd gongit wel/ som ingen wägh haffuer farit/ ey heller lijdit sådana brist/ som thenne moste lijdha/ intit aff tino gotze mist/ ther tu offuer må quidha/ scal man ey sådant tenckia?
Så war nw syndare oförskrect/ tu haffuer en mildan fader/ emoot tich är hans fampn vtrect/ han annammar tich gladher/ Om tu tijn synd bekenna kan/ och faller för honom nidher/ alla tijn skuld förlåter han/och giffuer tich hwad tu bidher/ tu må wel framgå trygger
Tes wari gud j ewigheet/ högt prijsat aff oss alla/ han seer wist til wor vselheet/ när wij til honom falle/ hielp herre gud j allo nödh/ och låt tijn nåde skijna/ frels oss ifrå then ewiga dödh/ sett oss j glädi tina/ Amen wij ther til siunge
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