Jesus says that if one of His sheep wanders off, He’ll go look for them. And how great is it that Jesus is willing to do the “looking”? He is so focused on us. So focused in fact, that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. In this blog post you’ll learn all about the parable of the prodigal son and what Bible verses about lost sheep mean.
The Bible contains countless beautiful lessons and insights about God, the world and how we are to live in it. One of the most famous teachings that Jesus gave was about lost sheep, one of the most famous parables. Here are some of our favorite Bible verses about lost sheep for you to ponder and meditate on.
If the other people in your life, like family members and friends, know the right way, then you should be willing to help them out of their bad situation.
Right here on kingdomgist you can rest assured to obtain valuable information on scriptures pertaining to how does the parable of the lost sheep relate to us today, bible verse about lost souls, lost sheep bible verse KJV, and so much more. Take out time to surf through our catalog for more information on similar topics. You don’t want to miss this!
Bible Verses About Sheep Needing Guidance
The Bible is full of references to lost sheep, and these things can serve as inspiration as well as comfort. Whether you’re feeling lost in your faith, wondering where a loved one is, or looking for a way to forgive someone who has hurt you, the parable of the lost sheep offers guidance. Read below to learn more about how this parable can guide your life today.
Luke 15:3-7 ESV / 169 helpful votes
So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Matthew 18:12-14 ESV / 82 helpful votes
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Luke 19:10 ESV / 80 helpful votes
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
John 10:11 ESV / 44 helpful votes
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
James 5:19-20 ESV / 35 helpful votes
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Matthew 18:14 ESV / 19 helpful votes
So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
2 Peter 3:9 ESV / 15 helpful votes
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Ezekiel 34:11 ESV / 15 helpful votes
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.
Romans 6:4 ESV / 14 helpful votes
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
John 3:16-17 ESV / 14 helpful votes
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:3 ESV / 14 helpful votes
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Luke 15:4 ESV / 14 helpful votes
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
Luke 15:4-7 ESV / 14 helpful votes
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:1-7 ESV / 14 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …
Matthew 15:24 ESV / 14 helpful votes
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Luke 15:1-32 ESV / 13 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …
Ezekiel 34:11-16 ESV / 13 helpful votes
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. …
Psalm 119:176 ESV / 13 helpful votes
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Luke 15:1 ESV / 12 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
Luke 15:7 ESV / 10 helpful votes
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Jeremiah 50:6 ESV / 10 helpful votes
“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.
John 3:1-36 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. …
Psalm 23:1-6 ESV / 9 helpful votes
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …
Romans 8:31 ESV / 8 helpful votes
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Ezekiel 34:16 ESV / 8 helpful votes
I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Isaiah 53:6 ESV / 8 helpful votes
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 10:17 ESV / 7 helpful votes
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
John 10:14 ESV / 7 helpful votes
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
What Does The Bible Say About Lost Sheep
Many people have lost their way and strayed from the path of faith. The Bible tells us that when a sheep wanders away from the flock, it will eventually be drawn back to the shepherd’s home. When you’re feeling lost in life and struggle with difficult decisions, take comfort in knowing that God is always waiting for you to return to Him.
Luke 15:8-10 ESV / 7 helpful votes
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:5 ESV / 7 helpful votes
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:3 ESV / 7 helpful votes
So he told them this parable:
Luke 15:2 ESV / 7 helpful votes
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Matthew 18:12 ESV / 7 helpful votes
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
Matthew 10:6 ESV / 7 helpful votes
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 9:36 ESV / 7 helpful votes
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
1 Peter 2:25 ESV / 6 helpful votes
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Luke 16:1-31 ESV / 6 helpful votes
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ …
Luke 14:1-35 ESV / 6 helpful votes
One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” …
Matthew 18:21-22 ESV / 6 helpful votes
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Matthew 9:36-38 ESV / 6 helpful votes
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Ezekiel 34:4 ESV / 6 helpful votes
The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
Jeremiah 31:10 ESV / 6 helpful votes
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
Psalm 100:3 ESV / 6 helpful votes
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 23:1 ESV / 6 helpful votes
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Luke 15:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
Luke 15:6 ESV / 5 helpful votes
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
Luke 5:32 ESV / 5 helpful votes
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:29 ESV / 5 helpful votes
And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.
Matthew 18:18 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes
And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
Matthew 18:10-14 ESV / 5 helpful votes
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 10:16 ESV / 5 helpful votes
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Bible Verses About Black Sheep
When a sheep goes astray, it is important to remember that God loves them just as much as the other sheep, and it is important to show mercy and help each one find their way back.
Jesus knows what it’s like to lose something you love. His greatest love and passion was helping people on their journey with God. But sometimes even we forget that he came for the lost.
Psalm 23:1-3 ESV / 5 helpful votes
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 1:1-6 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; …
John 10:7 ESV / 4 helpful votes
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:1-18 ESV / 4 helpful votes
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” …
Luke 15:10 ESV / 4 helpful votes
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 1:1-80 ESV / 4 helpful votes
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. …
Matthew 13:3 ESV / 4 helpful votes
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
Matthew 9:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes
And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 3:2 ESV / 4 helpful votes
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Zechariah 7:1-14 ESV / 4 helpful votes
In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord, saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? …
Isaiah 45:7 ESV / 4 helpful votes
I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.
Isaiah 40:10-11 ESV / 4 helpful votes
Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Psalm 79:13 ESV / 4 helpful votes
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Revelation 1:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Hebrews 12:2 ESV / 3 helpful votes
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Colossians 3:1-25 ESV / 3 helpful votes
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. …
Acts 17:10-11 ESV / 3 helpful votes
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
John 10:26-28 ESV / 3 helpful votes
But you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:2 ESV / 3 helpful votes
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Matthew 18:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes
Matthew 7:15 ESV / 3 helpful votes
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Isaiah 53:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
Bible Verse About Lost Souls
To some, the word “lost” may sound hopeless. But for others, it describes a journey in which we have been away from God and are now on the path to coming back. Discover what your Bible says about lost sheep.
Bible verses about lost sheep. These Bible verses are all about lost sheep, and most of them come from the New Testament. You may be looking for some help getting through a situation in your life, or you may be looking for some encouragement in specific areas. Either way, the following verses can provide solace and hope through difficult times.
Hebrews 1:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Colossians 2:1-23 ESV / 2 helpful votes
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. …
Colossians 1:1-29 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, …
John 10:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
John 10:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 3:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes
No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
Luke 16:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
Luke 12:32 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luke 5:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Matthew 18:15 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:12-13 ESV / 2 helpful votes
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
Matthew 18:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matthew 18:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-35 ESV / 2 helpful votes
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, …
Matthew 11:28-29 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 9:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
Amos 1:1-15 ESV / 2 helpful votes
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. And he said: “The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord. …
Ezekiel 34:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes
My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
Psalm 119:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
