Luke 14

1 On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.

And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath, that they watched him.

2 There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.

And behold, there was a certain man before him who had the dropsy.

3 “Is it allowable,” said Jesus, addressing the students of the Law and the Pharisees, “to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?”

And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?

4 They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.

And they held their peace. And he took [him] and healed him, and let him go;

5 And he said to them, “Which of you, finding that your son or your ox has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull them out on the Sabbath day?”

And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not forthwith pull him out on the sabbath?

6 And they could not make any answer to that.

And they could not answer him again to these things.

7 Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable –

And he put forth a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying to them,

8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place. Someone of higher rank might have been invited by your host;

When thou art invited by any [man] to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be invited by him;

9 and the host who invited you both will come and say to you ‘Make room for this person,’ and then you will begin in confusion to take the lowest place.

And he that invited thee and him, shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

10 No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when the host who has invited you comes, he may say to you ‘Friend, come higher up’; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow guests.

But when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have honor in the presence of them that sit at table with thee.

11 For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and everyone who humbles themselves will be exalted.”

For whoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12 Then Jesus went on to say to the man who had invited him, “When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, because they might invite you in return, and so you should be repaid.

Then said he also to him that invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor [thy] rich neighbors; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

13 No, when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

14 and then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot reward you; for you will be rewarded at the resurrection of the just.”

And thou shalt be blessed: for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

15 One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed, “Happy will be the person who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

And when one of them that sat at table with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed [is] he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

16 But Jesus said to him, “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,

Then said he to him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many:

17 and sent his servant, when it was time for the dinner, to say to those who had been invited ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

And sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were invited, Come, for all things are now ready.

18 They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first said to the servant ‘I have bought a field and am obliged to go and look at it. I must ask you to consider me excused.’

And they all with one [consent] began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 The next said ‘I have bought five pairs of bullocks, and I am on my way to try them. I must ask you to consider me excused’;

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 while the next said ‘I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to come.’

And another said, I have married a wife: and therefore I cannot come.

21 On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant ‘Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.’

So that servant came, and showed 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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 Presently the servant said ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’

And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 ‘Go out,’ the master said, ‘into the roads and hedgerows, and make people come in, so that my house may be filled;

And 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 for I tell you all that not one of those people who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

For I say to you, that none of those men who were invited, shall taste my supper.

25 One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them,

And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said to them,

26 “If any one comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and even their life, he can be no disciple of mine.

If any [man] cometh to me, and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 Whoever does not carry their own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.

And whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 Why, which of you, when you want to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if you have enough to complete it? –

For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he hath [sufficient] to finish [it]?

29 Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will laugh at you,

Lest perhaps after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him,

30 and say ‘Here is a person who began to build and was not able to finish!’

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

31 Or what king, when he is setting out to fight another king, does not first sit down and consider if with ten thousand men he is able to meet one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if he cannot, then, while the other is still at a distance, he sends envoys and asks for terms of peace.

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an embassy, and desireth conditions of peace.

33 And so with everyone of you who does not bid farewell to all you have – you cannot be a disciple of mine.

So likewise, whoever he is of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what will be used to season it?

Salt [is] good: but if the salt hath lost its savor, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. People throw it away. Let those who have ears to hear with hear!”

It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, [but] men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.