Luke 15:1-10

Contemporary English Version

One Sheep

(Matthew 18.12-14)

15 ^(A) Tax collectors^[a] and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. ² So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this story:

⁴ If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? ⁵ And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder ⁶ and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.”

⁷ Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don't need to.”

One Coin

⁸ Jesus told the people another story:

What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? ⁹ Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found the coin I lost.”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”