alternative translations provided; brackets indicate extra shades of meaning; square brackets indicate provision of further clarification
One man’s son (a father, male progenitor, parent’s offspring, boy, lad, kid, manchild) said, spoke, requested, demanded, enquired ‘Give me my inheritance [provide into my safekeeping that to which I am entitled when you die, my share of your wealth].’ He gave, handed, freely distributed, gifted, a sum of money (currency, loot, spondulix, lucre, wad, wedge, bunce, folding greenbacks, dosh, bundle, brass, wonga, moolah, smackers, bread, lolly, readies) to this lad and he went from the house [left home] and went to Dissipation City [a town far away infamous for wickedness and wild living].
Once there, the boy spent [dissipated wastefully, frittered prodigally] all, the entirety, each and every coin, of the money and was broke, hard up, skint, without two pennies to rub together, on his uppers. And at the same time (simultaneously) there was a famine [economic hardship with specific reference to food shortages, possibly on account of crop failure or other accidents such fire or disease in the grain store].
The boy took employment, a job, was hired, looking after pigs [unclean animals anathema to persons of Hebrew heritage]. He longed (desired most earnestly, hungered) to eat the pods [diseased or withered vegetable remnants, of the sort thrown away by a community suffering greatly and starving to death] the pigs were eating [from their trough].
At this point, he came to his senses (had a revelation, was inspired by a thought from God, heard a divine word). ‘What am I doing?’ (why am I imagining myself eating this horrible gruel?) he thought to himself [he engaged in internal dialogue]. ‘My father’s hired men eat well every day (three square meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner). I will arise (get up, raise myself) [get off my backside, take a hike, make a move, stir my stumps, get going] and go to my father and say “I am no longer [despite previous honour, I have rejected the status to which I was entitled by the means of my shameful and disrespectful behaviour towards you] worthy [entitled by esteem] to be called your son [having rejected my position, to be known as legal offspring]; please (I entreat thee upon bended knee, with humility) give me a job (provide me with gainful employment).”’
He set off (left, made his way, journey, travelled, got going). But while he was still a long way off (at a distance, not nearby) his father saw him [from his vantage point] and ran (jogged, trotted, yomped, galloped, cantered, sprinted) to greet him (embrace him, welcome him) [show his affection for him] with a kiss. He gave him gifts [showered him with presents and gratuities] of a coat, a ring [featuring the family crest, symbolising his acceptance back into the family home] and a pair of shoes.
The father called for the slaughter (death, butchery, throat-slitting) of the fatted calf [set aside for feasting, special occasions, ensuring every celebrant has plenty, or many celebrants have sufficient], and for it to be roasted (cooked, flame-grilled, turned slowly above a fire).
‘This my son was lost (displaced, mislaid) [temporarily unable to be located], but now he is found (discovered, not lost any longer, discovered, unearthed). He was dead (deceased) [stiff, six foot under, bereft of life, had joined the choir invisible, had shuffled off this mortal coil, was no longer alive, had ceased to be, was no more, had gone to meet his maker]. But now he is alive (living, breathing, recovered, revived, resurrected, restored) [furnished once more to the land of the living]!’
