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

¹⁰ "Beware of ever despising one of these little ones, for I tell you that in Heaven their angels have continual access to my Father who is in Heaven. ¹¹ no translation ¹² What do you yourselves think? Suppose a man gets a hundred sheep and one of them strays away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and look for the one that is straying? ¹³ And if he succeeds in finding it, in solemn truth I tell you that he rejoices over it more than he does over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. ¹⁴ Just so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

¹ Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him; ² and this led the Pharisees and the Scribes indignantly to complain, saying, "He gives a welcome to notorious sinners, and joins them at their meals!"

³ So in figurative language He asked them, ⁴ "Which of you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad at heart. ⁶ Then coming home he calls his friends and neighbours together, and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.' ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need of repentance.