¹² `What think ye? if a man may have an hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, doth he not -- having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains -- seek that which is gone astray?

¹³ and if it may come to pass that he doth find it, verily I say to you, that he doth rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray;

¹⁴ so it is not will in presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones may perish.

15 And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming nigh to him, to hear him,

² and the Pharisees and the scribes were murmuring, saying -- This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.'

³ And he spake unto them this simile, saying,

⁴ `What man of you having a hundred sheep, and having lost one out of them, doth not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go on after the lost one, till he may find it?

⁵ and having found, he doth lay [it] on his shoulders rejoicing,

⁶ and having come to the house, he doth call together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep -- the lost one.

⁷ `I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.