Luke 14

1 It happened one Sabbath, when he went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat bread, that they were watching him closely.

Then it happened, when He entered the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely.

2 Behold, there in front of him was a man who was suffering from edema.

And then, there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy!

3 Jesus asked the experts in the Jewish law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

And Jesus reacted by saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they kept silent. So Jesus took hold of him, healed him, and sent him away.

But they kept silent. So He took hold of him, healed him, and let him go.

5 He said to them, “Which of you who has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”

Then He addressed them saying, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

6 They were not able to give an answer to these things.

And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

7 When Jesus noticed how those who were invited chose the seats of honor, he spoke a parable, saying to them,

Then He told a parable to those who were invited, having observed how they kept trying for the best places, saying to them:

8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the place of honor, because someone may have been invited who is more honored than you.

“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than you has been invited by him;

9 When the person who invited both of you arrives, he will say to you, 'Give this other person your place,' and then in shame you will proceed to take the lowest place.

then he who invited you both will come and say, ‘You, give this man place!’ and then, with shame, you start to take the lowest place.

10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

Rather, whenever you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will have honor in the presence of your fellow guests.

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

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

12 Jesus also said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, as they may also invite you in return, and you will be repaid.

Then He said directly to His host: “Whenever you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.

13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,

But whenever you make a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the just.”

and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you—you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 When one of them who sat at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Well when one of the fellow-recliners heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who will eat dinner in the Kingdom of God!”

16 But Jesus said to him, “A certain man prepared a large dinner and invited many.

So He said to him: “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many.

17 When the dinner was prepared, he sent his servant to say to those who were invited, 'Come, because everything is now ready.'

And at meal time he sent his slave to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

18 They all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.'

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

19 Another said, 'I have bought five pairs of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.'

Another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’

20 Then another man said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

Yet another said, ‘I have married a wife, and so I cannot come.’

21 The servant came and told his master these things. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

So that slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

22 The servant said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and yet there is still room.'

And the slave said, ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’

23 The master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Then the master said to the slave: ‘Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I say to you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'”

For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”

25 Now large crowds were going with him, and he turned and said to them,

Now large crowds were traveling with Him, and turning He said to them:

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

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

27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

And whoever does not carry his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you who desires to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost to calculate if he has what he needs to complete it?

“Further, which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to mock him,

This so he does not lay a foundation without being able to finish, and all who see it begin to ridicule him,

30 saying, 'This man 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, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take advice about whether he is able with ten thousand men to fight the other king who comes against him with twenty thousand men?

“Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32 If not, while the other army is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for conditions of peace.

And if not, while the other is still far away he sends a delegation and asks for terms for peace.

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple.

“So likewise, any of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again?

Salt is good; but should the salt become insipid, with what can it be seasoned?

35 It is of no use for the soil or even for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

It is fit for neither soil nor fertilizer; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”