Luke, 14

1. Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely.

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

2. Now there in front of him was a man with dropsy,

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

3. and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees with the words, 'Is it against the law to cure someone on the Sabbath, or not?'

3. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

4. But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.

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

5. Then he said to them, 'Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a Sabbath day without any hesitation?'

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

6. And to this they could find no answer.

6. And they could not answer him again to these things.

7. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this,

7. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

8. 'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited,

8. When thou art bidden of any [man] to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

9. and the person who invited you both may come and say, "Give up your place to this man." And then, to your embarrassment, you will have to go and take the lowest place.

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

10. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, "My friend, move up higher." Then, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.

10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

11. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.'

11. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12. Then he said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you.

12. Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor [thy] rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

13. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

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

14. then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.'

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

15. On hearing this, one of those gathered round the table said to him, 'Blessed is anyone who will share the meal in the kingdom of God!'

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

16. But he said to him, 'There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people.

16. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17. When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, "Come along: everything is ready now."

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

18. But all alike started to make excuses. The first said, "I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies."

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

19. Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies."

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

20. Yet another said, "I have just got married and so am unable to come."

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

21. 'The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame."

21. So that servant came, and shewed 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. "Sir," said the servant, "your orders have been carried out and there is still room."

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

23. Then the master said to his servant, "Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people to come in, to make sure my house is full;

23. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.

24. because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet." '

24. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

25. Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them.

25. And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

26. 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple.

26. If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.

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

28. 'And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it?

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

29. Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying,

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

30. "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish."

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

31. Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand?

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

32. If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.

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

33. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.

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

34. 'Salt is a good thing. But if salt itself loses its taste, what can make it salty again?

34. Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

35. It is good for neither soil nor manure heap. People throw it away. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'

35. 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.