1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him to hear him. [15:2] And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." [15:3] Then he spoke this parable to them, saying: [15:4] "What man among you, having a hundred sheep and having lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? [15:5] And having found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [15:6] And having come to the house, he calls together the friends and the neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.' [15:7] I say to you that in the same way there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting rather than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance."
LUK 15:1-7
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Jewish society, tax collectors were deeply despised, seen as collaborators with Roman oppression due to their role in the exploitative tax-farming system. 'Sinners' referred to those who violated Torah purity or social norms, often marginalized by the religious elite. Pharisees and scribes, as guardians of Jewish tradition, viewed association with such individuals as defiling. Jesus’ audience would have understood sheepherding as a common but precarious livelihood; losing a sheep meant economic loss and risk in the wilderness , where predators and harsh conditions threatened the flock. The shepherd’s pursuit of one sheep, leaving the ninety-nine, would have seemed reckless yet deeply personal, reflecting the value of each individual. The rejoicing upon finding the sheep mirrored communal celebrations in agrarian villages. Jesus’ parable subverted the honor-shame dynamics of the time, emphasizing God’s care for the marginalized over the self-righteousness of the elite.
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How other translations render this
LUK 15:1
- KJV
- Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
- BSB
- Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
- Koinōnos
- Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him to hear him.
LUK 15:2
- KJV
- And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
- BSB
- So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
- Koinōnos
- And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them.
LUK 15:3
- KJV
- And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
- BSB
- Then Jesus told them this parable:
- Koinōnos
- Then he spoke this parable to them, saying:
LUK 15:4
- KJV
- What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
- BSB
- “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
- Koinōnos
- What man among you, having a hundred sheep and having lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?
LUK 15:5
- KJV
- And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
- BSB
- And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,
- Koinōnos
- And having found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
LUK 15:6
- KJV
- And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
- BSB
- comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’
- Koinōnos
- And having come to the house, he calls together the friends and the neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.
LUK 15:7
- KJV
- I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
- BSB
- I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
- Koinōnos
- I say to you that in the same way there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting rather than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 15:1
- tax collectors:The term translated 'tax collectors' referred to individuals who bought the right to collect taxes from Rome, often extorting more than required for personal profit, making them deeply unpopular and socially ostracized.
- sinners:The word translated 'sinners' here refers to those who were considered morally corrupt or outside the bounds of religious law and social respectability, not just people who made mistakes.
LUK 15:4
- open field:The word translated 'open field' describes a desolate, uninhabited, or wilderness area, emphasizing the danger and isolation of the sheep's location.
LUK 15:7
- repenting:The word translated 'repenting' implies a fundamental change of mind and direction in one's life, not merely feeling sorry for past actions.