"Whatmanamongyou, if he hasa hundredsheepand has lostoneof them, does not leavethe ninety-ninein the open pastureand goafterthe one which is lostuntilhe findsit?
I have goneastraylike a lostsheep;seekYour servant,For I do not forgetYour commandments.
Allof us like sheephave goneastray,Eachof us has turnedto his own way;But the LORDhas caused the iniquityof us allTo fallon Him.
In the citiesof the hillcountry,in the citiesof the lowland,in the citiesof the Negev,in the landof Benjamin,in the environsof Jerusalemand in the citiesof Judah,the flockswill againpassunderthe handsof the one who numbersthem,' saysthe LORD.
"My peoplehave becomelostsheep;Their shepherdshave ledthem astray.They have made them turnaside[on] the mountains;They have gonealong from mountainto hillAnd have forgottentheir restingplace.
"I will seekthe lost,bringbackthe scattered,bindup the brokenand strengthenthe sick;but the fatand the strongI will destroy.I will feedthem with judgment.
"As for you, My sheep,the sheepof My pasture,you are men,and I am your God,"declaresthe LordGOD.
"Those who are sicklyyou have not strengthened,the diseasedyou have not healed,the brokenyou have not boundup, the scatteredyou have not broughtback,norhave you soughtfor the lost;but with forceand with severityyou have dominatedthem.
"As I live,"declaresthe LordGOD,"surelybecauseMy flockhas becomea prey,My flockhas even becomefoodfor allthe beastsof the fieldfor lackof a shepherd,and My shepherdsdid not searchfor My flock,but [rather] the shepherdsfedthemselves and did not feedMy flock;
And He saidto them, "Whatmanis there amongyou whohasa sheep,and ifit fallsinto a piton the Sabbath,will he not take holdof it and liftit out?
But the Lordansweredhim and said,"You hypocrites,does not eachof you on the Sabbathuntiehis oxorhis donkeyfrom the stalland lead him awayto water[him]?
SoHe toldthem thisparable,saying,
"For the Sonof Manhas cometo seekand to savethat which was lost."
Thereforeyou haveno excuse,everyoneof you who passesjudgment,for in that whichyou judgeanother,you condemnyourself;for you who judgepracticethe same things.
For you were continually strayinglikesheep,but nowyou have returnedto the Shepherdand Guardianof your souls.
