^12 (A)What do you think? ^(B)If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So ^(C)it is not the will of my^[a] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

³ So he told them this parable: ^4 (A)“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, ^(B)if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine ^(C)in the open country, and ^(D)go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, ^(E)he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for ^(F)I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who ^(G)repents than over ninety-nine ^(H)righteous persons who need no repentance.