Luke 14

1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched 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 a certain man before him which 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 day?

“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 And 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 answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the 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 him again to these things.

And they could not make any answer to that.

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; 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 wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable 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 come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

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 room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them 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 whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; 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 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor [thy] rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence 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, call 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; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at 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 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

But Jesus said to him, “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,

17 And sent 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 piece of ground, and I must needs go 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 So that servant came, and shewed 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 the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

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, it is done as thou hast commanded, 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 compel [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 which 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 And there went great multitudes with him: 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] come to me, and hate not his 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 And whosoever doth not bear his 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, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [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, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] 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, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be 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 desireth 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 likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh 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 [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour, 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 neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; [but] 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!”