The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.[a] 12 What do you think? If a certain man has[b] a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and[c] look for the one that wandered away? 13 And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. 14 In the same way it is not the will of[d] your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:10 Many later Greek manuscripts include vs. 11, “For the Son of Man came to save those who are lost.”
  2. Matthew 18:12 Literally “there are to a certain man”
  3. Matthew 18:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Matthew 18:14 Literally “in the presence of”

10  See horaō that you do not despise kataphroneō one heis of ho these houtos little mikros ones . For gar I tell legō you hymeis that hoti · ho their autos angels angelos in en heaven ouranos always dia pas see blepō the ho face prosōpon of ho my egō Father patēr who ho is in en heaven ouranos. 12 What tis do you hymeis think dokeō? If ean a tis man anthrōpos has ginomai a hundred hekaton sheep probaton and kai one heis of ek them autos goes planaō astray , will he not ouchi leave aphiēmi the ho ninety-nine enenēkonta ennea on epi the ho slopes oros and kai go poreuō in search zēteō of the ho one planaō that has wandered off ? 13 And kai if ean he finds ginomai it autos, I tell legō you hymeis the truth amēn, he will rejoice chairō over epi it autos more mallon than ē over epi the ho ninety-nine enenēkonta ennea that ho did not go planaō astray . 14 In the same houtōs way , it is eimi not ou the will thelēma of ho your hymeis Father patēr · ho in en heaven ouranos that hina even one heis of ho these houtos little ones mikros should perish apollymi.

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