Hymn
The Prodigal Son
Afflictions though they seem severe,
In mercy oft are sent,
They stopp’d the prodigal’s career,
And caus’d him to repent.
I’ll die no more for bread, he cried,
Nor starve in foreign lands;
My father’s house has large supplies,
And bounteous are his hands.
What have I gained by sin, he said,
But hunger, shame and fear?
My father’s house abounds with bread,
While I am starving here.
I’ll go and tell him all I’ve done,
Fall down before his face,
Unworthy to be called his son,
I’ll seek a servant’s place.
His father saw him coming back,
He saw, and ran, and smiled,
And threw his arms around the neck
Of his rebellious child.
Father, I’ve sinned, but O forgive!
Enough! the father said;
Rejoice, my house, my son’s alive,
For whom I mourned as dead.
Now let the fatted calf be slain,
And spread the news around;
My son was dead, and lives again;
Was lost, but now is found.
‘Tis thus the Lord His love reveals,
To call poor sinners home;
More than a father’s love He feels,
And welcomes all that come.
The Prodigal Son — Text from Gospel Praise Book, 1885. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/the-prodigal-son
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote The Prodigal Son?
The words of The Prodigal Son were written by John Newton; the version here was published in 1885. The library holds 38 more hymns by John Newton, including Again our earthly cares we leave and Mary to Her Savior's Tomb.
Is The Prodigal Son public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Gospel Praise Book, published in 1885. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of The Prodigal Son?
The Prodigal Son is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs, New Birth and The Prospect Joyous.