Luke 14

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

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 A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen.

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

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

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

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

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

5 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?”

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 weren't able to give an answer.

But they could make no reply to this.

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

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'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.

"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 “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.

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 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.

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 those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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

12 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.

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 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

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

14 and you will be blessed, for they have nothing to repay you with, and you'll be rewarded at the resurrection of the good.”

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 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!”

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

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

17 “When it was time to eat he sent his servant out to tell everyone who had been invited, ‘Come, because the banquet's ready.’

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

18 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.’

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

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

20 ‘I've just got married, so I can't come.’

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

21 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.’

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

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

23 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.

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

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

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

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

26 “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.

"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 If you don't carry your cross and follow me, you can't be my disciple.

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

28 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?

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

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

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

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

31 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?

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

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

33 In the same way every one of you who doesn't give up everything can't 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 it loses its taste, how can you make it salty again?

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

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

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."