Luke 15:3-5
New English Translation
3 So[a] Jesus[b] told them[c] this parable:[d] 4 “Which one[e] of you, if he has a hundred[f] sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture[g] and go look for[h] the one that is lost until he finds it?[i] 5 Then[j] when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
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- Luke 15:3 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Luke 15:3 sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
- Luke 15:4 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
- Luke 15:4 tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.
- Luke 15:4 sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
- Luke 15:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 15:3-5
King James Version
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 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?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
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Luke 15:3-5
New King James Version
3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 (A)“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
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Luke 15:3-5
New International Version
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:(A) 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?(B) 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
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