15 ¹ ANOTHER TIME, the tax-gatherers and other bad characters were all crowding in to listen to him; 15 ² and the Pharisees and the doctors of the law began grumbling among themselves: 'This fellow', they said, 'welcomes sinners and eats with them.'

15 ³ He answered them with this parable: 15 ⁴ 'If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the missing one until he has found it? 15 ⁵ How delighted he is then! He lifts it on to his shoulders, 15 ⁶ and home he goes to call his friends and neighbours together. "Rejoice with me!" he cries. "I have found my lost sheep." 15 ⁷ In the same way, I tell you, there will be greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.