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.

One Sabbath Jesus went to have a meal at the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees where they watched him closely.

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

A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen.

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

So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath, or not?”

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

But they kept quiet. Jesus touched the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.

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 Jesus said to them, “If your son or your ox happened to fall into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you go and pull him out immediately?”

6 And they had no answer to that question.

They weren't able to give an answer.

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,

So he told a story to the guests, noticing how they'd chosen to sit in places of honor.

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,

“When you're invited to a wedding reception, don't take the place of honor, because someone more important than you may have been invited,” he began.

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.

“Your host who invited you both will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then in embarrassment you'll have to move to whatever place is left.

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.

Instead, when you're invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he'll tell you, ‘My friend, please move to a better seat.’ Then you'll be honored before all the guests sitting with you.

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.

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves 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 to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, for they may invite you back, and then you'd be repaid.

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

Instead, when you give 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, for they have nothing to repay you with, and you'll be rewarded at the resurrection of the good.”

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.

When one of them eating at the table with Jesus heard this, he said to Jesus, “How wonderful it will be for those who feast 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.

“Once there was a man who prepared a great banquet, and invited many guests,” Jesus replied.

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

“When it was time to eat he sent his servant out to tell everyone who had been invited, ‘Come, because the banquet's 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 started to make excuses. The first said, ‘I've just bought a field and I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’

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've just bought five pairs of oxen and have to go and try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said,

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

‘I've just got married, so I can't 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.

The servant returned and told his master what they'd said. The home-owner became angry and told his servant, ‘Quickly, go out into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

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

Then the servant said, ‘Master, I did what you told me, but there are still empty places.’

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.

So the master told the servant, ‘Go out on the country roads and lanes, and make people come—I want my house to be full.

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

I tell you, not a single one of those people I invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

25 Now a great number of people went with him.

A large crowd was accompanying Jesus. He turned to them and said,

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 you want to follow me but you don't hate your father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters—even your own life—you can't be my disciple.

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

If you don't carry your cross and follow me, you can't 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?

If you planned to build a tower, wouldn't you first work out how much it would cost, and see if you had enough money 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,

Otherwise, if after laying the foundation you weren't able to finish it, everyone who saw it would laugh at you, saying,

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

‘Look at him: he started building but he couldn't finish it.’

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?

What king goes to war with another king without first sitting down with his advisors to work out whether he and his ten thousand can defeat the one marching against him with twenty thousand?

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

If he can't, he'll send representatives to ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.

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

In the same way every one of you who doesn't give up everything can't be my disciple.

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

Salt is good, but if it loses its taste, how can you make it salty again?

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's no good for the soil or for fertilizer—you just toss it out. Whoever has ears, then listen!”