Luke 14
1 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him.
On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.
2 And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy.
There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.
3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?
“Is it allowable,” said Jesus, addressing the students of the Law and the Pharisees, “to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?”
4 But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go.
They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a sabbath day?
And he said to them, “Which of you, finding that your son or your ox has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull them out on the Sabbath day?”
6 And they could not answer again unto these things.
And they could not make any answer to that.
7 And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them,
Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable –
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him,
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place. Someone of higher rank might have been invited by your host;
9 and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place.
and the host who invited you both will come and say to you ‘Make room for this person,’ and then you will begin in confusion to take the lowest place.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee.
No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when the host who has invited you comes, he may say to you ‘Friend, come higher up’; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow guests.
11 For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and everyone who humbles themselves will be exalted.”
12 And he said to him also that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.
Then Jesus went on to say to the man who had invited him, “When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, because they might invite you in return, and so you should be repaid.
13 But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
No, when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
14 and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not [wherewith] to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.
and then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot reward you; for you will be rewarded at the resurrection of the just.”
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed, “Happy will be the person who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 But he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many:
But Jesus said to him, “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,
17 and he sent forth his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for [all] things are now ready.
and sent his servant, when it was time for the dinner, to say to those who had been invited ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 And they all with one [consent] began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused.
They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first said to the servant ‘I have bought a field and am obliged to go and look at it. I must ask you to consider me excused.’
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused.
The next said ‘I have bought five pairs of bullocks, and I am on my way to try them. I must ask you to consider me excused’;
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
while the next said ‘I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to come.’
21 And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame.
On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant ‘Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.’
22 And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room.
Presently the servant said ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.
‘Go out,’ the master said, ‘into the roads and hedgerows, and make people come in, so that my house may be filled;
24 For I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.
for I tell you all that not one of those people who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
25 Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and said unto them,
One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them,
26 If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
“If any one comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and even their life, he can be no disciple of mine.
27 Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry their own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have [wherewith] to complete it?
Why, which of you, when you want to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if you have enough to complete it? –
29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him,
Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will laugh at you,
30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
and say ‘Here is a person who began to build and was not able to finish!’
31 Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Or what king, when he is setting out to fight another king, does not first sit down and consider if with ten thousand men he is able to meet one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.
And if he cannot, then, while the other is still at a distance, he sends envoys and asks for terms of peace.
33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
And so with everyone of you who does not bid farewell to all you have – you cannot be a disciple of mine.
34 Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what will be used to season it?
35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: [men] cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. People throw it away. Let those who have ears to hear with hear!”
