Luke 14

1 And it came about that when he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath, to have a meal, they were watching him.

Then it happened, when He entered the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely.

2 And a certain man was there who had a disease.

And then, there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy!

3 And Jesus, answering, said to the scribes and Pharisees, Is it right to make people well on the Sabbath or not?

And Jesus reacted by saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they said nothing. And he made him well and sent him away.

But they kept silent. So He took hold of him, healed him, and let him go.

5 And he said to them, Which of you, whose ox or ass has got into a water-hole, will not straight away get him out on the Sabbath?

Then He addressed them saying, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

6 And they had no answer to that question.

And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

7 And he gave teaching in the form of a story to the guests who came to the feast, when he saw how they took the best seats; saying to them,

Then He told a parable to those who were invited, having observed how they kept trying for the best places, saying to them:

8 When you get a request to come to a feast, do not take the best seat, for a more important man than you may be coming,

“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than you has been invited by him;

9 And then the giver of the feast will come to you and say, Give your place to this man; and you, with shame, will have to take the lowest seat.

then he who invited you both will come and say, ‘You, give this man place!’ and then, with shame, you start to take the lowest place.

10 But when you come, go and take the lowest seat, so that when the giver of the feast comes, he may say to you, Friend, come up higher; and then you will have honour in the eyes of all the others who are there.

Rather, whenever you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will have honor in the presence of your fellow guests.

11 For every man who gives himself a high place will be put down, but he who takes a low place will be lifted up.

Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 And he said to the master of the house, When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward.

Then He said directly to His host: “Whenever you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.

13 But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body:

But whenever you make a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

14 And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.

and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you—you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 And, hearing these words, one of those who were at table with him said to him, Happy is the man who will be a guest in the kingdom of God.

Well when one of the fellow-recliners heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who will eat dinner in the Kingdom of God!”

16 And he said to them, A certain man gave a great feast, and sent word of it to a number of people.

So He said to him: “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many.

17 And when the time had come, he sent his servants to say to them, Come, for all things are now ready.

And at meal time he sent his slave to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

18 And they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him: ‘I bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’

19 And another said, I have got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.

Another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’

20 And another said, I have been married, and so I am not able to come.

Yet another said, ‘I have married a wife, and so I cannot come.’

21 And the servant came back and gave his master an account of these things. Then the master of the house was angry and said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets of the town and get the poor, the blind, and those who are broken in body.

So that slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

22 And the servant said, Lord, your orders have been done, and still there is room.

And the slave said, ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’

23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the roads and the fields, and make them come in, so that my house may be full.

Then the master said to the slave: ‘Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I say to you that not one of those who were requested to come will have a taste of my feast.

For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”

25 Now a great number of people went with him.

Now large crowds were traveling with Him, and turning He said to them:

26 And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.

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

27 Whoever does not take up his cross and come after me may not be my disciple.

And whoever does not carry his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to put up a tower, does not first give much thought to the price, if he will have enough to make it complete?

“Further, which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 For fear that if he makes a start and is not able to go on with it to the end, all who see it will be laughing at him,

This so he does not lay a foundation without being able to finish, and all who see it begin to ridicule him,

30 And saying, This man made a start at building and is not able to make it complete.

saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’

31 Or what king, going to war with another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

“Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or while the other is still a great distance away, he sends representatives requesting conditions of peace.

And if not, while the other is still far away he sends a delegation and asks for terms for peace.

33 And so whoever is not ready to give up all he has may not be my disciple.

“So likewise, any of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 For salt is good, but if the taste goes from it, of what use is it?

Salt is good; but should the salt become insipid, with what can it be seasoned?

35 It is no good for the land or for the place of waste; no one has a use for it. He who has ears, let him give ear.

It is fit for neither soil nor fertilizer; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”