Luke 14
1 It happened on the Sabbath Day when he went into the house of a certain ruler among Pharisees to take a meal, that they were watching him.
One day--it was a Sabbath--He was taking a meal at the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisee party, while they were closely watching Him.
2 And lo! there was in front of him a man who had dropsy.
In front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy.
3 So Jesus questioned the lawyers and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day or not?"
This led Jesus to ask the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it allowable to cure people on the Sabbath?"
4 They kept silent. Then Jesus took him and healed him and let him go.
They gave Him no answer; so He took hold of the man, cured him, and sent him away.
5 And to them he said, "Which of you when an ox or ass has fallen into a well, will at once pull him out on the Sabbath Day?"
Then He turned to them and said, "Which of you shall have a child or an ox fall into a well on the Sabbath day, and will not immediately lift him out?"
6 They could not answer this.
To this they could make no reply.
7 He told a parable to the guests when he noticed how they began choosing the best seats. He said to them.
Then, when He noticed that the invited guests chose the best seats, He used this as an illustration and said to them,
8 "When you are invited by any one to a marriage-feast, do not sit down in the best seat, lest a guest more distinguished than yourself has been invited, and your host come to you and say,
"When any one invites you to a wedding banquet, do not take the best seat, lest perhaps some more honoured guest than you may have been asked,
9 "‘Give place to this man,’ and then with mortification you proceed to take the lowest place.
and the man who invited you both will come and will say to you, 'Make room for this guest,' and then you, ashamed, will move to the lowest place.
10 "But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when your host arrives he may say to you, ‘My friend, come up higher.’ Then you will be honored before the other guest.
On the contrary, when you are invited go and take the lowest place, that when your host comes round he may say to you, 'My friend, come up higher.' This will be doing you honour in the presence of all the other guests.
11 "For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
For whoever uplifts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be uplifted.
12 Also to his host who had invited him, he continued, saying. "When you are making a dinner-party or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest it chance that they invite you in return, and a recompense be made by you.
Also to His host, who had invited Him, He said, "When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbours, lest perhaps they should invite you in return and a requital be made you.
13 "But when you make a reception, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
But when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind;
14 "Then you will be blessed, because they have no means to repay you, but you shall be paid in the Resurrection of the Just."
and you will be blessed, because they have no means of requiting you, but there will be requital for you at the Resurrection of the righteous."
15 One of his fellow guest who was listening to him, said to him, "Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God."
After listening to this teaching, one of His fellow guests said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall feast in God's Kingdom."
16 Jesus answered. "A certain man was making a great feast to which he invited many guests.
"A man once gave a great dinner," replied Jesus, "to which he invited a large number of guests.
17 "At dinnertime he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
At dinner-time he sent his servant to announce to those who had been invited, "'Come, for things are now ready.'
18 "And they all, without exception, proceeded to excuse themselves. The first told him. ‘I have bought a field, and must needs go and see it. Pray have me excused.’
"But they all without exception began to excuse themselves. The first told him, "'I have purchased a piece of land, and must of necessity go and look at it. Pray hold me excused.'
19 "The second said. ‘I have bought five yolk of oxen and am on my way to try them. I pray that you will have me excused.’
"A second pleaded, "'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am on my way to try them. Pray hold me excused.'
20 "‘I have taken a wife,’ said the another, ‘and for that reason I am unable to come.’
"Another said, "'I am just married. It is impossible for me to come.'
21 "So the slave came and presented all these answers to his master. Then the master of the house was indignant, and said to his slave. ‘Go out, quickly, into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame.’
"So the servant came and brought these answers to his master, and they stirred his anger. "'Go out quickly,' he said, 'into the streets of the city--the wide ones and the narrow. You will see poor men, and crippled, blind, lame: fetch them all in here.'
22 "And the slave said, ‘My master, your orders have been carried out, but yet there is room.’
"Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.'
23 "Said the master to his slave. ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges, and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
"'Go out,' replied the master, 'to the high roads and hedge-rows, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 "‘For I tell you that not one of those invited guests shall taste my supper.’"
For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my dinner.'"
25 Great crowds were along with him, and he turned to them and said.
On His journey vast crowds attended Him, towards whom He turned and said,
26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate father and his mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, and his own very life also, he cannot be a disciple of mine.
"If any one is coming to me who does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be a disciple of mine.
27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, cannot be a disciple of mine.
No one who does not carry his own cross and come after me can be a disciple of mine.
28 "Which of you who is desirous of building a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, to see if he has the means to complete it?
"Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, asking if he has the means to finish it? --
29 "Lest it happen that after he has laid the foundations and is unable to complete it, all who see it shall begin to jeer at him saying,
lest perhaps, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to finish, all who see it shall begin to jeer at him,
30 "‘This fellow began to build and could not finish.’
saying, 'This man began to build, but could not finish.'
31 "Or what king as he goes forth to join battle with another king in war does not sit down first and deliberate whether he can meet with ten thousand men the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand?
Or what king, marching to encounter another king in war, does not first sit down and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand?
32 "If he cannot, while the other king is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy to ask conditions of peace.
If not, while the other is still a long way off, he sends messengers and sues for peace.
33 "Just so any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Just as no one of you who does not detach himself from all that belongs to him can be a disciple of mine.
34 "Salt is good, but if even the salt have lost its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?
"Salt is good: but if even the salt has become tasteless, what will you use to season it?
35 "It is fit neither for the land nor the dung-hill; men cast it out. He who has ears to hear let him listen to this!"
Neither for land nor dunghill is it of any use; they throw it away. Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"
