Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me power to tell the good news. I thank him because he believed he could trust me, and he chose me for this work.

¹³ There was a time when I did not respect him. I troubled his people. I said wrong things about him. But he was very kind to me, because I did not know what I was doing and I did not believe in him.

¹⁴ Our Lord showed me much love and kindness. I believed in him and had the love which comes from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ These are true words and everyone should believe them. `Christ Jesus came into the world to save bad people.' And I am the worst of all.

¹⁶ Jesus Christ wanted to show that he is very, very patient. And so he was kind to me who was the worst. He did this so that others would believe in him and live for ever.

¹⁷ Give honour and praise for ever and ever to the one who is King for ever. He will never die. He cannot be seen. He is the only God. Yes, he is!

15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

² The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'

³ So Jesus told them this story.

⁴ He said, `Which one of you will not do this? A man has a hundred sheep. He loses one of them. He leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and he goes to look for the one that is lost. He looks until he finds it.

⁵ And when he has found it, he is very glad. He carries it on his back.

⁶ When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbours to come. He says, "Be glad with me! I have found my lost sheep."

⁷ `I tell you, the angels in heaven will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things. The angels will be more glad about that one person than about ninety-nine good people who do not need to change their ways.'

⁸ `What woman will not do this? She has ten pieces of silver money. If she loses one of them, she lights a lamp and sweeps the house. She looks for the money until she finds it.

⁹ When she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours to come. She says, "Be glad with me! I have found the piece of money I lost."

¹⁰ I tell you, the angels of God will be glad like that when one bad person stops doing wrong things.'