Luke 14

1 AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the principal Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath, that they were watchfully observant of him.

And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him,

2 And, behold, there was a certain man who had a dropsy, before him.

and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;

3 And Jesus addressing himself to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, spake, saying, Is it lawful to perform cures on the sabbath?

and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'

4 And they said nothing. And he took him, and healed him, and sent him away;

and they were silent, and having taken hold of [him], he healed him, and let [him] go;

5 and addressing them, said, Whose ass or ox is fallen into a pit, and doth he not immediately pull him out on the sabbath-day?

and answering them he said, 'Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'

6 And they were unable to answer him in opposition to these things.

and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.

7 Then he spake to those who were invited, a parable, when he observed how they chose the principal seats; saying unto them,

And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,

8 When thou art invited of any person to a marriage entertainment, recline not on the principal couch; lest a more honourable personage than thyself be invited by him;

'When thou mayest be called by any one to marriage-feasts, thou mayest not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than thou may have been called by him,

9 and he that invited thee and him, coming say to thee, Yield this person the place; and so thou shalt begin with shame to go down to the lowest place.

and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place.

10 But when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee comes, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have respect in the presence of those who are seated with thee.

'But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before those reclining with thee;

11 For every one who exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

12 Then said he also to the person who had invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy relations, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompence be made to thee.

And he said also to him who did call him, 'When thou mayest make a dinner or a supper, be not calling thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call thee again, and a recompense may come to thee;

13 But when thou makest an entertainment, invite the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind:

but when thou mayest make a feast, be calling poor, maimed, lame, blind,

14 and thou shalt be blessed; because they cannot recompense thee: for a recompence shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.

and happy thou shalt be, because they have not to recompense thee, for it shall be recompensed to thee in the rising again of the righteous.'

15 Then one of those who sat at table hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

And one of those reclining with him, having heard these things, said to him, 'Happy [is] he who shall eat bread in the reign of God;'

16 And he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many:

and he said to him, 'A certain man made a great supper, and called many,

17 and sent his servants at supper-time to say to the invited, Come; for all things are now ready.

and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.

18 And they all began with one voice to frame excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must of necessity go and survey it: I pray thee hold me excused.

'And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am going to make a trial of them: I pray thee accept my excuse.

'And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.

21 And that servant returning, informed his master of these things. Then the master of the family, being highly incensed, said to his servant, Go out instantly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

'And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.

22 And the servant said, Sir, it is done as thou orderedst, and yet there is room.

'And the servant said, Sir, it hath been done as thou didst command, and still there is room.

23 And the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and urge them to come in, that my house may be filled.

'And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;

24 For I say unto you, That not one man of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.

for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'

25 And great multitudes followed him about: and he turned, and spoke to them,

And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,

26 If any man cometh after me, and hateth not father, and mother, and wife and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

'If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, he cannot be my disciple.

and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

28 For what man of you designing to erect a tower, doth not first sitting down calculate the expence, if he have sufficient to complete the work?

'For who of you, willing to build a tower, doth not first, having sat down, count the expence, whether he have the things for completing?

29 lest haply, after having laid the foundation, and being unable to finish it, all who look upon it begin to ridicule him,

lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,

30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

saying — This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going forth to encounter another king in battle, doth not sit down first, and consult if he is able with ten thousand men to meet him who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

'Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

32 and if he be not, whilst he is still at a distance, he sendeth an embassy, and desires terms of peace.

and if not so — he being yet a long way off — having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.

33 So then, every one of you who will not part with all his possessions, cannot be my disciple.

'So, then, every one of you who doth not take leave of all that he himself hath, is not able to be my disciple.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt become insipid, by what shall it be seasoned?

'The salt [is] good, but if the salt doth become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land, nor for manure; but they cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

neither for land nor for manure is it fit — they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear — let him hear.'