Luke 14
1 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of a certain man of the chiefs 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 a certain man in front of him afflicted with edema.
There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.
3 And having responded, Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it permitted to heal on the sabbath?
“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 were silent. And having taken him, he healed him and released him.
They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.
5 And having responded, he said to them, Of which of you will a son or an ox fall into a pit, and he will not straightaway lift him out on the day of the sabbath?
And he said to them: “Which of you, finding that his son or his ox has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath Day?”
6 And they could not answer him back to these things.
And they could not make any answer to that.
7 And he spoke a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose out the chief places, saying to them,
Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable —
8 When thou are invited by any man to wedding festivities, do not sit down in the chief place, lest there may be a more honorable man than thou who was invited by him.
“When you are invited by any one to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place, for fear that some one of higher rank should have been invited by your host;
9 And he who invited thee and him, having come, will say to thee, Give place to this man, and then thou will begin with embarrassment to take the last place.
and he who invited you both will come and say to you ‘Make room for this man,’ and then you will begin in confusion to take the lowest place.
10 But when thou are invited, having gone, sit down in the last place, so that when he who has invited thee comes, he will say to thee, Friend, go up higher, then it will be esteem to thee in the presence of those dining with thee.
No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when he who has invited you comes, he may say to you ‘Friend, come higher up’; and then you will be honoured in the eyes of all your fellow-guests.
11 Because every man who lifts himself up will be made lower, and he who makes himself lower will be lifted up.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 And he also said to the man who invited him, When thou make a dinner or a supper, do not call thy friends, nor thy brothers, nor thy kinsmen, nor prosperous neighbors, lest they also invite thee in return, and a recompense be made to 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 your relations, or rich neighbours, for fear that they should invite you in return, and so you should be repaid.
13 But when thou make 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 will be blessed, because they do not have to recompense thee, for it will be recompensed to thee at the resurrection of the righteous.
and then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot recompense you; for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the good.”
15 And a certain man of those dining together having heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he who will eat dinner in the kingdom of God.
One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed: “Happy will he be who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God!”
16 And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many.
But Jesus said to him: “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,
17 And he sent forth his bondman at the hour of the meal to say to those who were invited, Come, because 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 from one began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I have need to go out and see it. I ask thee have me excused.
They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first man 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 bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to test them. I ask 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 married a wife, and because of this I cannot come.
while the next said ‘I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to come.’
21 And that bondman, having come, he informed his lord these things. Then the house-ruler having become angry, he said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the thoroughfares and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and maimed and crippled and 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 bondman said, Lord, as thou commanded it has happened, 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 to the bondman, Go out into the roads 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 to you, that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few chosen.
for I tell you all that not one of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
25 Now many multitudes went with him, and having turned, he said to them,
One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them:
26 If any man comes to me, and does not regard as inferior his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and besides his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
“If any man comes to me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and his very life, he can be no disciple of mine.
27 And whoever does not bear his cross, and come behind me, cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.
28 For which of you wanting to build a tower, does not, having first sat down, count the cost whether he has the things for completion?
Why, which of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? —
29 So that perhaps, having laid its foundation, and not being able to finish, all those who see begin to ridicule him,
For fear that, if he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, every one who sees it should begin to laugh at him,
30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
and say ‘Here is a man who began to build and was not able to finish!’
31 Or what king going to encounter another king in war, will not, having first sat down, consult whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes 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 And if not, while he is still far off, having sent a delegation, he asks the things about 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 every man of you who does not renounce all things being possessed by him, cannot be my disciple.
And so with every one of you who does not bid farewell to all he has — he cannot be a disciple of mine.
34 The salt material is good, but if the salt material becomes tasteless, by what will it be seasoned?
Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what shall be used to season it?
35 It is fit neither for the land nor for manure; they cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. Men throw it away. Let him who has ears to hear with hear!”
