< Luke 14 >

1 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of a certain man of the chiefs of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him.
It happened on the Sabbath Day when he went into the house of a certain ruler among Pharisees to take a meal, that they were watching him.
2 And behold, there was a certain man in front of him afflicted with edema.
And lo! there was in front of him a man who had dropsy.
3 And having responded, Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it permitted to heal on the sabbath?
So Jesus questioned the lawyers and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day or not?"
4 But they were silent. And having taken him, he healed him and released him.
They kept silent. Then Jesus took him and healed him and let him go.
5 And having responded, he said to them, Of which of you will a son or an ox fall into a pit, and he will not straightaway lift him out on the day of the sabbath?
And to them he said, "Which of you when an ox or ass has fallen into a well, will at once pull him out on the Sabbath Day?"
6 And they could not answer him back to these things.
They could not answer this.
7 And he spoke a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose out the chief places, saying to them,
He told a parable to the guests when he noticed how they began choosing the best seats. He said to them.
8 When thou are invited by any man to wedding festivities, do not sit down in the chief place, lest there may be a more honorable man than thou who was invited by him.
"When you are invited by any one to a marriage-feast, do not sit down in the best seat, lest a guest more distinguished than yourself has been invited, and your host come to you and say,
9 And he who invited thee and him, having come, will say to thee, Give place to this man, and then thou will begin with embarrassment to take the last place.
"‘Give place to this man,’ and then with mortification you proceed to take the lowest place.
10 But when thou are invited, having gone, sit down in the last place, so that when he who has invited thee comes, he will say to thee, Friend, go up higher, then it will be esteem to thee in the presence of those dining with thee.
"But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when your host arrives he may say to you, ‘My friend, come up higher.’ Then you will be honored before the other guest.
11 Because every man who lifts himself up will be made lower, and he who makes himself lower will be lifted up.
"For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
12 And he also said to the man who invited him, When thou make a dinner or a supper, do not call thy friends, nor thy brothers, nor thy kinsmen, nor prosperous neighbors, lest they also invite thee in return, and a recompense be made to thee.
Also to his host who had invited him, he continued, saying. "When you are making a dinner-party or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest it chance that they invite you in return, and a recompense be made by you.
13 But when thou make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,
"But when you make a reception, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
14 and thou will be blessed, because they do not have to recompense thee, for it will be recompensed to thee at the resurrection of the righteous.
"Then you will be blessed, because they have no means to repay you, but you shall be paid in the Resurrection of the Just."
15 And a certain man of those dining together having heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he who will eat dinner in the kingdom of God.
One of his fellow guest who was listening to him, said to him, "Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God."
16 And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many.
Jesus answered. "A certain man was making a great feast to which he invited many guests.
17 And he sent forth his bondman at the hour of the meal to say to those who were invited, Come, because all things are now ready.
"At dinnertime he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18 And they all from one began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I have need to go out and see it. I ask thee have me excused.
"And they all, without exception, proceeded to excuse themselves. The first told him. ‘I have bought a field, and must needs go and see it. Pray have me excused.’
19 And another said, I bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to test them. I ask thee have me excused.
"The second said. ‘I have bought five yolk of oxen and am on my way to try them. I pray that you will have me excused.’
20 And another said, I married a wife, and because of this I cannot come.
"‘I have taken a wife,’ said the another, ‘and for that reason I am unable to come.’
21 And that bondman, having come, he informed his lord these things. Then the house-ruler having become angry, he said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the thoroughfares and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and maimed and crippled and blind.
"So the slave came and presented all these answers to his master. Then the master of the house was indignant, and said to his slave. ‘Go out, quickly, into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame.’
22 And the bondman said, Lord, as thou commanded it has happened, and yet there is room.
"And the slave said, ‘My master, your orders have been carried out, but yet there is room.’
23 And the lord said to the bondman, Go out into the roads and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
"Said the master to his slave. ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges, and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 For I say to you, that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few chosen.
"‘For I tell you that not one of those invited guests shall taste my supper.’"
25 Now many multitudes went with him, and having turned, he said to them,
Great crowds were along with him, and he turned to them and said.
26 If any man comes to me, and does not regard as inferior his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and besides his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
"If any one comes to me and does not hate father and his mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, and his own very life also, he cannot be a disciple of mine.
27 And whoever does not bear his cross, and come behind me, cannot be my disciple.
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, cannot be a disciple of mine.
28 For which of you wanting to build a tower, does not, having first sat down, count the cost whether he has the things for completion?
"Which of you who is desirous of building a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, to see if he has the means to complete it?
29 So that perhaps, having laid its foundation, and not being able to finish, all those who see begin to ridicule him,
"Lest it happen that after he has laid the foundations and is unable to complete it, all who see it shall begin to jeer at him saying,
30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
"‘This fellow began to build and could not finish.’
31 Or what king going to encounter another king in war, will not, having first sat down, consult whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
"Or what king as he goes forth to join battle with another king in war does not sit down first and deliberate whether he can meet with ten thousand men the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand?
32 And if not, while he is still far off, having sent a delegation, he asks the things about peace.
"If he cannot, while the other king is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy to ask conditions of peace.
33 So therefore every man of you who does not renounce all things being possessed by him, cannot be my disciple.
"Just so any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
34 The salt material is good, but if the salt material becomes tasteless, by what will it be seasoned?
"Salt is good, but if even the salt have lost its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?
35 It is fit neither for the land nor for manure; they cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
"It is fit neither for the land nor the dung-hill; men cast it out. He who has ears to hear let him listen to this!"

< Luke 14 >