Luke 14

1 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.

And it happened, 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.

2 And lo! there was in front of him a man who had dropsy.

And look, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.

3 So Jesus questioned the lawyers and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day or not?"

Jesus, answering, spoke to the Law scholars and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"

4 They kept silent. Then Jesus took him and healed him and let him go.

But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.

5 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?"

He answered them, "Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, would not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?"

6 They could not answer this.

But they could make no reply to this.

7 He told a parable to the guests when he noticed how they began choosing the best seats. He said to them.

He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,

8 "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,

"When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him,

9 "‘Give place to this man,’ and then with mortification you proceed to take the lowest place.

and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, 'Make room for this person.' Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.

10 "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.

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

11 "For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

12 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.

He also said to the one who had invited him, "When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

13 "But when you make a reception, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.

But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;

14 "Then you will be blessed, because they have no means to repay you, but you shall be paid in the Resurrection of the Just."

and you will be blessed, because they do not have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous."

15 One of his fellow guest who was listening to him, said to him, "Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God."

Now when one of those who were reclining with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is he who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God."

16 Jesus answered. "A certain man was making a great feast to which he invited many guests.

But he said to him, "A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

17 "At dinnertime he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’

And he sent his servant at the hour for supper to tell those who were invited, 'Come, for everything is ready now.'

18 "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.’

They all as one began to make excuses. "The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.'

19 "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.’

"Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.'

20 "‘I have taken a wife,’ said the another, ‘and for that reason I am unable to come.’

"Another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

21 "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.’

"That 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 the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.'

22 "And the slave said, ‘My master, your orders have been carried out, but yet there is room.’

"The servant said, 'Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.'

23 "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.

"The lord said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 "‘For I tell you that not one of those invited guests shall taste my supper.’"

For I tell you that none of those individuals who were invited will taste of my supper.'"

25 Great crowds were along with him, and he turned to them and said.

Now large crowds were going with him. He turned and said to them,

26 "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.

"If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, cannot be a disciple of mine.

Whoever does not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 "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?

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?

29 "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,

Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,

30 "‘This fellow began to build and could not finish.’

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

31 "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?

Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 "If he cannot, while the other king is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy to ask conditions of peace.

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace.

33 "Just so any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

So therefore whoever of you who does not renounce all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.

34 "Salt is good, but if even the salt have lost its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?

Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?

35 "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!"

It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."