The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Matthew 18:12

In 9 translations

BSB: What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
KJV: How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
WEB: “What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
ASV: How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray?
LSV: What do you think? If a man may have one hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, does he not—having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains—seek that which is gone astray?
YLT: 'What think ye? if a man may have an hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, doth he not — having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains — seek that which is gone astray?
DBY: What think ye? If a certain man should have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not, leaving the ninety and nine on the mountains, go and seek the one that has gone astray?
DRC: What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray?
GNV: How thinke ye? If a man haue an hundreth sheepe, and one of them be gone astray, doeth he not leaue ninetie and nine, and go into the mountaines, and seeke that which is gone astray?

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read ἀφήσει (“he will leave”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read ἀφεῖς (“having left”).

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

Word order: Textus Receptus place ἐνενήκοντα elsewhere in this verse.
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles include καὶ (“and”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text do not include this wording.

SBLGNT apparatus (2)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

SBLGNT: ἀφήσει. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read ἀφήσει; Robinson–Pierpont read ἀφεὶς.
SBLGNT: καὶ. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read καὶ; Robinson–Pierpont omit this wording.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
RP2018: Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; Ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα, καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν· οὐχὶ ἀφεὶς τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα, ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
TR-Boyd: Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; Ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα, καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν· οὐχὶ ἀφεὶς τὰ ἐννενηκονταεννέα, ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
SCR1894: τι υμιν δοκει εαν γενηται τινι ανθρωπω εκατον προβατα και πλανηθη εν εξ αυτων ουχι αφεις τα εννενηκονταεννεα επι τα ορη πορευθεις ζητει το πλανωμενον

Who and where

◆ Teachings on Humility/Temptation/Reconciliation

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Lost Sheep Penny Astray Agriculture Sheep Parable Love of Christ, The Penitent Cattle Go

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Ezekiel 34:12As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
Luke 15:4–7“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? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his…
Ezekiel 34:16I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
Ezekiel 34:28They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not consume them. They will dwell securely, and no one will frighten them.
Isaiah 53:6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
Ezekiel 34:6My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the face of all the earth, with no one to search for them or seek them out.’
1 Peter 2:25For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jeremiah 50:6My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.
John 10:11–21I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the…
Matthew 12:11He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?
Psalms 119:176I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.
Matthew 21:28But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
1 Corinthians 10:15I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.
Matthew 22:42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.
1 Kings 21:17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).