Luke 14
1 One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
One Sabbath Jesus went to have a meal at the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees where they watched him closely.
2 Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen.
3 So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath, or not?”
4 But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
But they kept quiet. Jesus touched the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
5 And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
Then Jesus said to them, “If your son or your ox happened to fall into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you go and pull him out immediately?”
6 And they were unable to answer these questions.
They weren't able to give an answer.
7 When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
So he told a story to the guests, noticing how they'd chosen to sit in places of honor.
8 “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.
“When you're invited to a wedding reception, don't take the place of honor, because someone more important than you may have been invited,” he began.
9 Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.
“Your host who invited you both will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then in embarrassment you'll have to move to whatever place is left.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
Instead, when you're invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he'll tell you, ‘My friend, please move to a better seat.’ Then you'll be honored before all the guests sitting with you.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.
Then he said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, for they may invite you back, and then you'd be repaid.
13 But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
and you will be blessed, for they have nothing to repay you with, and you'll be rewarded at the resurrection of the good.”
15 When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
When one of them eating at the table with Jesus heard this, he said to Jesus, “How wonderful it will be for those who feast in the kingdom of God!”
16 But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
“Once there was a man who prepared a great banquet, and invited many guests,” Jesus replied.
17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
“When it was time to eat he sent his servant out to tell everyone who had been invited, ‘Come, because the banquet's ready.’
18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
But they all started to make excuses. The first said, ‘I've just bought a field and I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Another said, ‘I've just bought five pairs of oxen and have to go and try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said,
20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
‘I've just got married, so I can't come.’
21 The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
The servant returned and told his master what they'd said. The home-owner became angry and told his servant, ‘Quickly, go out into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
Then the servant said, ‘Master, I did what you told me, but there are still empty places.’
23 So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
So the master told the servant, ‘Go out on the country roads and lanes, and make people come—I want my house to be full.
24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
I tell you, not a single one of those people I invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
25 Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
A large crowd was accompanying Jesus. He turned to them and said,
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
“If you want to follow me but you don't hate your father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters—even your own life—you can't be my disciple.
27 And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
If you don't carry your cross and follow me, you can't be my disciple.
28 Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
If you planned to build a tower, wouldn't you first work out how much it would cost, and see if you had enough money to complete it?
29 Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
Otherwise, if after laying the foundation you weren't able to finish it, everyone who saw it would laugh at you, saying,
30 saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
‘Look at him: he started building but he couldn't finish it.’
31 Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
What king goes to war with another king without first sitting down with his advisors to work out whether he and his ten thousand can defeat the one marching against him with twenty thousand?
32 And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
If he can't, he'll send representatives to ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.
33 In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
In the same way every one of you who doesn't give up everything can't be my disciple.
34 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
Salt is good, but if it loses its taste, how can you make it salty again?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
It's no good for the soil or for fertilizer—you just toss it out. Whoever has ears, then listen!”
