Matthew 18:10-14 - The Parable Of The Lost Sheep

¹⁰ Beware of despising one of these lowly ones, for in Heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in Heaven. ¹¹ OMITTED TEXT ¹² What think you? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills, and go and search for the one that is straying? ¹³ And, if he succeeds in finding it, I tell you that he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine which did not stray. ¹⁴ So, too, it is the will of my Father who is in Heaven that not one of these lowly ones should be lost.

¹ The tax-gatherers and the outcasts were all drawing near to Jesus to listen to him; ² But the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law found fault. "This man always welcomes outcasts, and takes meals with them!" they complained.

³ So Jesus told them this parable-- ⁴ "What man among you who has a hundred sheep, and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine out in the open country, and go after the lost sheep till he finds it? ⁵ And, when he has found it, he puts in on his shoulders rejoicing; ⁶ And, on reaching home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, and says 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.' ⁷ So, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one outcast that repents, than over ninety-nine religious men, who have no need to repent.