¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?

⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?^{(A) 5} And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’^{(B) 7} I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.^(C)

¹² As a shepherd^(A) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.^(B)

¹⁶ I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up^(A) the injured and strengthen the weak,^(B) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.^(C) I will shepherd the flock with justice.^(D)

²⁸ They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety,^(A) and no one will make them afraid.^(B)

⁶ My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.^(A) They were scattered^(B) over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.^(C)

²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[a](A) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(B) and Overseer of your souls.^(C)

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’^(A)

¹¹ He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?^(A)