"Whatdo you think?Ifanymanhasa hundredsheep,and oneof them has goneastray,does he not leavethe ninety-nineon the mountainsand goand searchfor the one that is straying?
Then the wordof the LORDcameto Elijahthe Tishbite,saying,
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.
"My peoplehave becomelostsheep;Their shepherdshave ledthem astray.They have made them turnaside[on] the mountains;They have gonealong from mountainto hillAnd have forgottentheir restingplace.
"As a shepherdcaresfor his herdin the daywhen he is amonghis scatteredsheep,soI will carefor My sheepand will deliverthem from allthe placesto whichthey were scatteredon a cloudyand gloomyday.
"I will seekthe lost,bringbackthe scattered,bindup the brokenand strengthenthe sick;but the fatand the strongI will destroy.I will feedthem with judgment.
"They will nolongerbe a preyto the nations,and the beastsof the earthwill not devourthem; but they will livesecurely,and noonewill make[them] afraid.
"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.
"My flockwanderedthrough allthe mountainsand on everyhighhill;My flockwas scatteredoverallthe surfaceof the earth,and therewas nooneto searchor seek[for them]."'"
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?
"Ifit turnsout that he findsit, trulyI sayto you, he rejoicesoverit morethanoverthe ninety-ninewhich have not gone astray.
"But whatdo you think?A manhadtwosons,and he cameto the firstand said,Son,goworktodayin the vineyard.'
"Whatdo you thinkaboutthe Christ,whosesonis He?" They saidto Him, "[The son] of David."
I speakas to wise men;you judgewhatI say.
For you were continually strayinglikesheep,but nowyou have returnedto the Shepherdand Guardianof your souls.
