Luke 15:7
New International Version
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

New Living Translation
In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

Berean Literal Bible
I say to you that in the same way there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting, rather than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.

King James Bible
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

New King James Version
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

New American Standard Bible
I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

NASB 1995
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

NASB 1977
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Legacy Standard Bible
I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Amplified Bible
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

Christian Standard Bible
I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.

American Standard Version
I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I say to you that there shall be joy like this in Heaven over one sinner who returns home, more than over ninety nine righteous ones who do not need a homecoming.”

Contemporary English Version
Jesus said, "In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don't need to."

Douay-Rheims Bible
I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

English Revised Version
I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, which need no repentance.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over 99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval."

Good News Translation
In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

International Standard Version
In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent."

Literal Standard Version
I say to you that [more] joy will be in Heaven over one sinner converting, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men who have no need of conversion.

Majority Standard Bible
In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

New American Bible
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

NET Bible
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

New Revised Standard Version
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.

New Heart English Bible
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Webster's Bible Translation
I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance.

Weymouth New Testament
I tell you that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need of repentance.

World English Bible
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Young's Literal Translation
'I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
6comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ 7In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent. 8Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?…

Cross References
Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

Luke 15:6
comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!'

Luke 15:8
Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?

Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents."


Treasury of Scripture

I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

joy.

Luke 15:32
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Luke 5:32
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 18:13
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

which.

Luke 15:29
And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

Luke 16:15
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Luke 18:9-11
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: …

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Change Good Heart Heaven Joy Likewise Need Nine Ninety Ninety-Nine Persons Rejoicing Repentance Repentant Repenteth Repenting Repents Righteous Sinner Turned Way Wrongdoing
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Change Good Heart Heaven Joy Likewise Need Nine Ninety Ninety-Nine Persons Rejoicing Repentance Repentant Repenteth Repenting Repents Righteous Sinner Turned Way Wrongdoing
Luke 15
1. The parable of the lost sheep;
8. of the piece of silver;
11. of the prodigal son.














(7) Ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.--As regards the men and women among whom our Lord carried on His work, we cannot see in these words anything but a grave and indignant protest, veiled under the form of an apparent concession, against the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. His call to repent had been addressed to all. That all offended in many things; that for a man to say he had not sinned was a lying boast--this was the first postulate of every preacher of the gospel, whatever school of thought he might represent (Romans 3:23; James 3:2; 1John 1:8). Once, indeed, the opposite thought had appeared in the devotional utterance of a penitent Israelite--"Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of 'the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against Thee" (Prayer of Manasses in the Apocrypha); but there it was accompanied by personal contrition and confession. The man felt in his humility, how unlike he was to those saints of God. It was reserved for the Pharisees to develop the thought into the conviction that they were the just persons who needed no repentance, and that all their worship should consist in thanksgiving that they were so. (See Note on Luke 18:11.)

Verse 7. - I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. "But," the Master went on to say, "what I looked for in vain on earth, see, I have found in heaven. What men coldly refused me, the celestials have joyfully given. These understand me. They love both me and my work, do the holy angels." This coldness, even opposition, on the part of the Pharisees and the religious men of Israel to himself and his works, to his teachings of mercy and love, seems certainly to be the reason why Jesus emphasizes, both here and in the next parable, the sympathy which he receives, not on earth from men, but in heaven from beings, inhabitants of another world. Men, have, however, asked - Why do these heavenly beings rejoice over the one more than over the ninety and nine? It is utterly insufficient to say that this joy is occasioned by the getting back something that was lost. Such a feeling is conceivable among men, though even here it would be an exaggerated sentiment, but in heaven, among the immortals, no such feeling could exist; it partakes too much of the sentimental, almost of the hysterical. This higher joy must be due to another cause. Now, the shepherd, when he found the wanderer, did not bring it back to the old fold, or replace it with the rest of the flock, but apparently (ver. 6) brought it to his own home. This would seem to indicate that sinners whom Jesus has come to save, and whom he has saved, are placed in a better position than that from which they originally wandered. This gives us the clue to the angels' joy over the "found one" more than over those who were safe in the old ibid. The Talmudists have taught - and their teaching, no doubt, is but the reflection of what was taught in the great rabbinical schools of Jerusalem before its ruin - that a man who had been guilty of many sins might, by repentance, raise himself to a higher degree of virtue than the perfectly righteous man who had never experienced his temptations. If this were so, well argues Professor Bruce, "surely it was reasonable to occupy one's self in endeavouring to get sinners to start on this noble career of self-elevation, and to rejoice when in any instance he had succeeded. But it is one thing to have correct theories, and another to put them into practice... So they found fault with One (Jesus) who not only held this view as an abstract doctrine, but acted on it, and sought to bring those who had strayed furthest from the paths of righteousness to repentance, believing that, though last, they might yet be first."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
In the same way,
οὕτως (houtōs)
Adverb
Strong's 3779: Thus, so, in this manner. Or (referring to what precedes or follows).

I tell
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

there will be [more]
ἔσται (estai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

joy
χαρὰ (chara)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5479: Joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

heaven
οὐρανῷ (ouranō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

over
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

one
ἑνὶ (heni)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

sinner
ἁμαρτωλῷ (hamartōlō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 268: Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable. From hamartano; sinful, i.e. A sinner.

who repents
μετανοοῦντι (metanoounti)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3340: From meta and noieo; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. Reconsider.

than
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

over
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

ninety-nine
ἐνενήκοντα (enenēkonta)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1768: Ninety. From a multiple of ennea and ennea itself; ninety-nine.

righteous ones
δικαίοις (dikaiois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1342: From dike; equitable; by implication, innocent, holy.

who
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

do
ἔχουσιν (echousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

need
χρείαν (chreian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5532: From the base of chraomai or chre; employment, i.e. An affair; also occasion, demand, requirement or destitution.

to repent.
μετανοίας (metanoias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3341: From metanoeo; compunction; by implication, reversal (another's) decision).


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NT Gospels: Luke 15:7 I tell you that even so there (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 15:6
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