Luke 14

1 And it happened that, when Jesus entered the house of a certain leader of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were observing him.

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, the people there were watching him closely.

2 And behold, a certain man before him was afflicted with edema.

And behold, there in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.

3 And responding, Jesus spoke to the experts in the law and to the Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?”

In response Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they kept silent. Yet truly, taking hold of him, he healed him and sent him away.

But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.

5 And responding to them, he said, “Which of you will have a donkey or an ox fall into a pit, and will not promptly pull him out, on the day of the Sabbath?”

Then he said to them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not immediately pull him out?”

6 And they were unable to respond to him about these things.

But they could give him no answer about these things.

7 Then he also told a parable, to those who were invited, noticing how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them:

When Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor for themselves, he told them a parable:

8 “When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the first place, lest perhaps someone more honored than yourself may have been invited by him.

“When yoʋ are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than yoʋ has been invited by yoʋr host.

9 And then he who called both you and him, approaching, may say to you, ‘Give this place to him.’ And then you would begin, with shame, to take the last place.

Then the host, who invited you both, will come and say to yoʋ, ‘Give yoʋr place to this person.’ And with shame yoʋ will begin moving to the least important place.

10 But when you are invited, go, sit down in the lowest place, so that, when he who invited you arrives, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the sight of those who sit at table together with you.

But when yoʋ are invited, go recline in the least important place, so that, when yoʋr host comes, he will say to yoʋ, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then yoʋ will be honored in the presence of those who are reclining at the table with yoʋ.

11 For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

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

12 Then he also said to the one who had invited him: “When you prepare a lunch or dinner, do not choose to call your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they might then invite you in return and repayment would made to you.

Jesus also said to the man who had invited him, “When yoʋ prepare a luncheon or dinner, do not invite yoʋr friends, yoʋr brothers, yoʋr relatives, or yoʋr rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite yoʋ in return, and yoʋ will be repaid.

13 But when you prepare a feast, call the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.

But when yoʋ prepare a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.

14 And you will be blessed because they do not have a way to repay you. So then, your recompense will be in the resurrection of the just.”

Then yoʋ will be blessed. Since they do not have the means to repay yoʋ, yoʋ will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 When someone sitting at table with him had heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.”

When one of the men reclining at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16 So he said to him: “A certain man prepared a great feast, and he invited many.

Jesus said to him, “A man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

17 And he sent his servant, at the hour of the feast, to tell the invited to come; for now everything was ready.

At the time for the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 And at once they all began to make excuses. The first said to him: ‘I bought a farm, and I need to go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’

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

19 And another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you to excuse me.’

Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them out. I ask yoʋ to have me excused.’

20 And another said, ‘I have taken a wife, and therefore I am not able to go.’

Still another said, ‘I have married a woman, and for that reason I cannot come.’

21 And returning, the servant reported these things to his lord. Then the father of the family, becoming angry, said to his servant: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and neighborhoods of the city. And lead here the poor, and the disabled, and the blind, and the lame.’

So the servant came back and told these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.’

22 And the servant said: ‘It has been done, just as you ordered, lord, and there is still room.’

The servant said, ‘Master, it has been done as yoʋ commanded, and there is still room.’

23 And the lord said to the servant: ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel them to enter, so that my house may be filled.

So the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I tell you, that none of those men who were invited will taste of my feast.’”

For I tell you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

25 Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them:

Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and said to them,

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

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

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

And whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it?

For which of you who wants to build a tower does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see if he has what he needs to complete it?

29 Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him,

Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who are looking on will begin to mock him,

30 saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.’

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

31 Or, what king, advancing to engage in war against another king, would not first sit down and consider whether he may be able, with ten thousand, to meet one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Or what king, when he is going out to confront another king in battle, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to face the king who is coming against him with twenty thousand men?

32 If not, then while the other is still far away, sending a delegation, he would ask him for terms of peace.

If he cannot, he sends a delegation while the other is still far away and asks for terms of peace.

33 Therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple.

So then, any one of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be seasoned?

“Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is useful neither in soil, nor in manure, so instead, it shall be thrown away. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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.”